DETERMINED to Date
by Catwildes
Summary: After Frisk saved the Underground, living with Toriel and Asgore was the perfect happy ending for her, despite the fact that Monsters continued to seclude themselves in the underground because of awkward relations with Humankind. But now that Frisk has gotten just a little bit older, she's found a new hobby to focus her DETERMINATION on... Sans. Except his past complicates things.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note:_ **Hey there! So this story is just one I write for fun and decided to publish so I can feel like I'm doing something with my life (lol).**  
 **As a side note- in this story, Papyrus doesn't talk in ALL CAPS (all the time) and Sans doesn't talk in no caps at all. Mostly because it bothers me. I hope it doesn't bother you guys? :)  
Anyways, I have multiple chapters already written. I will release them ASAP, and continue writing because this is one of the things I am doing with my free time. I am looking over what I have written and deciding how to break them up into chapters as I go.  
Thanks for reading!**

 _-cw_

* * *

 **CHAPTER I:** **You are filled with DETERMINATION**

Frisk brushed her mousy brown short hair and straightened out her pink and blue striped jacket in the mirror. She carefully cleaned up a few things around the counter. Cleaning up after Papyrus and Sans became Frisk's autonomous hobby because Toriel let her sleep over so much. Ever since she "Saved Monsterkind" (as her generous Monster friends loved to put it), Frisk moved in with Toriel and Asgore in their expensive house in the Underground since Monsters found themselves more comfortable away from the Humans which saw them only as villains or sources of entertainment, with _fascination_ being the _least_ mean-spirited kind of entertainment. When they first arrived above ground, the Humans fortunately didn't attack them. They were kind out of pure fascination and interest until the general public saw them as topics to discuss on talk shows or put on stage as jokes.

The Human's leap to using Monsters as a source of entertainment made the Monster dream to return above ground die quickly. Monsters soon saw Humans the same way the Humans saw them. Nothing more than something 'new' and 'different'. Everyone stuck to the places they were before, with the exception of a few outliers, and the fact that tourism slowly brought the two species closer. Snowdin was practically a human tourism city now, due to its cozy feel and location close to the capital. The tourists were usually kind and respectful, and it didn't take long to realize that the Humans themselves weren't much different from Monsters.

But to Frisk, none of this mattered. She spent more of a happy life with the Monsters, and that made her feel closer to them than Humans. So in short, she only cared for her life in the Underground with her family and friends; and the drive to her skeleton friends house in Snowdin wasn't too far from the monster capitol she now resided in. Even though Frisk was getting older than a teen now, they still treated her like their innocent little teenaged girl.

This evening, on a Saturday, Frisk woke up late as usual.

Papyrus was already in the kitchen 'cooking' something spaghetti-like.

"Hey Papyrus!" Frisk smiled, waving as she walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch.

"Hello, precious human!" He shouted excitedly as usual. "Would you like to join me in my spaghetti tasting?!"

"Sure." She nodded. It was funny to her that Papyrus was so blithe and there was nothing awkward between them despite that strange date they had ages ago that Frisk pushed to distract him from fighting her.

If Frisk wasn't spending her time being homeschooled by Toriel, she was helping Papyrus with something dumb or doing something even dumber with Sans. But she enjoyed it. They made her laugh and it made hanging out with girls like Undyne and Alphys refreshing. Of course, Mettaton was fabulous to hang out with, too, but he was always trying to dress her up or get her on a date with someone.

Suddenly, as Papyrus was fixing her a plate of Spaghetti, Sans walked through the door.

"Hey, kiddo." He smiled at Frisk.

Sans was always just coming out of nowhere and no one ever asked anything. Frisk always thought, at first, that it had something to do with all the weird jobs he had, but she knew better now. She never talked about it, though.

As Papyrus placed the plate down for her, Sans brought something up to her.

"Hey, ya know, I was thinking about something, recently…" He spoke.

Frisk just listened and ate her semi-edible spaghetti.

"I was thinking that you need to learn to defend yourself."

"Oh…" Frisk sighed. This wasn't the first time Sans or one of her friends tried to tell her she needed to defend herself by fighting back, instead.

Frisk never fought anyone. She was too sweet and silent to do so.

But this time, Sans was serious. If that was even possible for Sans.

"So i'm gonna teach you to fight back today." He said, sounding determined.

She gave another sigh, spinning her fork in her spaghetti.

"I know ya don't wanna, kid. But some day you're gonna _have_ to defend yourself. You won't be a kid forever." Sans said sincerely.

"I'm _not a kid_." The mute girl huffed.

Papyrus jumped to her; "But look at you, you're still so adorably tiny!"

"C'mon." Sans offered her a hand out of his pocket and pulled Frisk up off the couch. The two shuffled outside into the Snowdin snow and Sans turned to her.

"Okay kid. I want you to fight me. And no crap this time. You can't distract me the way you did everyone else." Sans smiled, still.

Frisk's face went pale.

"F-fight you? You mean you want me to throw a punch at you?" Frisk looked big-eyed.

Sans simply nodded.

"I'm not gonna do that!" Frisk spoke slightly louder than her usually quiet voice.

"Well you're gonna have to. Cause I'm gonna fight you back and it's gonna hurt unless you defend yourself." Sans threatened seriously, his left eye glowing in a blue fire that frightened Frisk.

"Ready?"

Frisk shook her head 'no', but Sans took a hand out of his pocket anyways.

He flung a fiery blast her way, and Frisk tumbled over to avoid it.

"I'm not gonna fight you, idiot!" Frisk shouted, for once. She was mostly perturbed.

She finally decided that she had to break out the big guns to get out of this one. She had to do it the Papyrus way- times two.

Sans began to fling another attack, glowing blue eye and all until he saw Frisk get up like she was going to do or say something important. He was hoping she was going to throw a punch but instead…

"G-go on a date with me!" Frisk screamed, her face blushing red as she looked away from the skeleton.

Sans stopped immediately and put his hand back into his pocket again. His face seemed strange.

"Hah...hah…" He laughed "...This kid… Heheh…" He seemed to stress.

"You're funny, but I won't fall for that. You aren't getting outta this."

Frisk groaned.

"I mean, geez Frisk I thought you knew me. I'm like the total opposite of a calendar." He stated. smirking.

"W-what…?" Frisk just stood there, still blushing and wondering what the heck Sans was talking about.

"I don't ever have any _dates_." He explained.

"Oh." Frisk snorted, laughing for a moment, realizing that she didn't pick up that it was just another one of San's puns.

"W-well i'm not giving up!" Frisk declared, sounding determined despite the fact that she was laughing, which made Sans smile wide.

"Besides, I have plenty of qualities that make me eligible as a date for you!"

Sans just stood there, sincerely wondering what Frisk was trying to do with this.

"Kid…" Sans laughed a little, looking freaked out to say the least.

"Let's just go to the Library. It'll make this whole thing a lot easier." Frisk smiled to the confused looking Sans.

"What..? Why?"

"Because i've been trying to _check you out_!" Frisk laughed evilly, as if Sans fell right into her evil trap. Despite the fact that she was technically hitting on him.

"Oh..dang...kid….you're such a nerd!" Sans facepalmed and he finally fell, laughing like crazy. Frisk stood proudly. She defeated Sans. She knew she could do it.

Something about her loved the whole idea of actually flustering Sans and making him laugh. In fact, this whole thing began a new trend with Frisk.

The whole week, Frisk kept making innuendo puns at Sans that kept making the skeleton freak out at first and then break out into laughter. Frisk had never seen such a reaction from Sans and she enjoyed it.

Eventually she got used to doing it even in front of others. On a Friday afternoon when she was at the skelebros' house for dinner, Frisk used another one. She loved getting on his nerves about the whole date idea. It kept him from ever bothering her about fighting people again.

"Hey...feel this shirt...what do you think it's made of?" Frisk pulled her shirt out in Sans' direction.

"I dunno." Sans looked confused, but seemed to expect something.

"'Cause it feels like _girlfriend material_ to me."

"OH MY GOD SANS!" Papyrus somehow still got angry at Sans, despite the fact that Frisk told this one.

"Not only are you teaching our human to use these horrible puns-!" Papyrus grumbled at Sans. "But you also have got her hitting on us!"

"Yeah, what's up with you kiddo? I told you the date thing isn't happening." Sans turned to Frisk.

"I've already dated Papyrus!" Frisk stated; "So it's only fair that I date you, too."

"A date with Sans?!" Papyrus practically howled with laughter; "Human! That sounds so boring! Nyeheheheheh!" He laughed, as if what she was saying were scandalous.

"Yeah. It'd be pretty boring, Frisk." Sans nodded.

"No it wouldn't! It'd be fun." Frisk insisted with her normal faint smile.

Sans looked tortured; "You're not gonna stop bothering me until I take you on a date, huh?" he guessed.

Frisk just nodded as she ate her dinner.

"Okay, fine. We'll...go on a date."

"Oh, finally. I mean I know you're feet must hurt after this week." Frisk grinned.

"What? Why would his feet hurt?" Papyrus asked, very, very loudly.

"Because he's been _running through my mind_ all week." Frisk grinned even more.

"OH NO SANS LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HER!" Papyrus yelled at Sans angrily about the pun but he was busy laughing.

"Okay, friend, you've earned that date." Sans winked at Frisk. "Anyone able to tell puns that bad is maybe just bad enough to date me."

Frisk giggled and gave a cute smile.

After the next few days, Frisk eventually got Sans, lazy as he was, to give in on the date he promised.

"Okay, but I'm you're gonna have to tear me away from work." Sans joked and Frisk just rolled her eyes at this.

He took her to...Grillby's.

"Sans. This isn't a date this is just you and me hanging out." Frisk practically laughed.

"No it isn't. I didn't whoopee cushion you." Sans stated.

"Oh. How gentlemanly." Frisk snorted, realizing he was right. He usually did that.

"Besides, going on a date is basically just hanging out anyways, right?" He winked.

Frisk just shrugged; "I guess so."

"But can we _at least_ sit somewhere diff-?" Frisk began to criticize that they sat in the same place, but looked around and realized they weren't.

 _I could have sworn we sat in the same place as usual!._.. Frisk thought to herself, feeling crazy.

"What's that?" Sans grinned normally.

"Oh? N-nothing…" Frisk blushed, feeling weird now.

They sat, talking and joking around as they normally did together. Today in Snowdin was colder than the normal already-cold days. Today- even Grillby's was a bit chilly.

"Brrr…" Frisk began to cross her arms, but noticed Sans' jacket was on her shoulders.

 _WHEN DID THAT GET THERE?!_ Frisk felt like she was going insane.

"Getting cold?" Sans grinned.

"Wait a minute…" Frisk narrowed her stare on Sans, "Are you dating me through time and space?!"

"Huh?" Sans played stupid.

"Don't play dumb! I _know_ you're doing it…" Frisk hissed playfully. Frisk never knew Sans to use his strange affinity of time and space for something like a date, but…

"I'm not playin' dumb! I dunno what you're talking about." Sans shrugged, still smiling.

The adorable and shivering Frisk simply let it go and decided she'd catch him in the act in another way.

"You still seem cold, kiddo. Maybe we should go back home…" Sans suggested, noticing her still-shivering body.

Frisk just shook her head.

The idea of _anyone_ having an actual successful date with Sans filled Frisk with **determination**.

Next thing they knew, Undyne and Alphys were walking through the door and they suddenly spotted Frisk.

"Oh~! Frisk! H-hey!" Alphys waved in a whirl of excitement. The two walked over to their booth.

"Hey, Undyne! Hey, Alphys!" the human smiled brightly, reflecting the light that contagiously spread happy feelings around everyone she met.

"Frisk! You're- so adorable in Sans' jacket!" Undyne spat out. Alphys and her were practically fangirling over Frisk as if she were still the only human they'd ever met.

"Oh-oh my god…" Alphys grabbed onto Undyne and poked at her; "I think th-they're on a date…" She whispered to the fish girl, but Frisk could hear it.

A blush broke across Frisk's fair face. She brushed her brown hair out of her face and bit her lip, not knowing how to respond to Alphys talking about her.

Should she tell them?

"No way...My best friend could do _way_ better!" Undyne exclaimed quite loudly, since they figured Sans hadn't heard what Alphys said. Which may have been correct since he looked totally unphased. Or Sans chose to _pretend_ he didn't hear it.

Alphys whispered in her ear again; "N-no! They are! Just look at Frisk's body language! I've read about this in fanfic."

Frisk blushed practically pink, now.

"B-but he looks totally normal." Undyne rebuttled in whisper.

"Uhh… Are they havin' their own conversation over there?" Sans talked to Frisk.

"Uhm...I think so." Frisk blushed some more due to the pure awkwardness of her friends.

The two were so busy in their own topic that they didn't even notice Sans' comment.

"You're joking right? He's totally a tsundere! He just doesn't want to _look_ like he cares." Alphys was whispering back.

"Hmm..he doesn't seem the tsun type. But maybe Sans is just too lazy to look like he has feelings." Undyne responded.

Their whispers were so loud now, Sans and Frisk were both practically in their conversation.

"Yeah, that's pretty accurate." Sans agreed on their commentary, scaring the living hell out of Undyne and Alphys both.

Frisk could tell Sans answered just to see Undyne and Alphys get scared from him hearing.

"Yeah. The kiddo wouldn't stop berrading me with innuendos all week until I went on a date with her, so I did." Sans explained.

"Oh, really?" Alphys and Undyne both said, as if they'd never expected Frisk to like him.

Alphys turned worriedly and Frisk was confused by her concerned face. For some reason… It meant so much more than any of the comments she'd made in conversation with Undyne. What was it that made her look so worried for Frisk?

"W-well, uh, I _guess_ we'll leave you two to your…" Alphys couldn't finish the sentence she seemed so weirded out.

"Date." Frisk whispered in her usual shy voice.

"Yeah." Undyne nodded, and the two left to their _own_ date.

Frisk continued on with the date, laughing and talking to Sans in no way different than usual, but for some reason Frisk could tell he was holding back on something.

As they walked back to Sans' and Papyrus' house in Snowdin, Frisk made a face that let Sans know that she _knew_ he was acting strange.

"Ah...you caught on." Sans gave in.

They stopped outside the little snow-covered house.

"Look, here's the thing Frisk…" Sans opened up just a _little_ bit more, but Frisk could tell he was still holding back. "I treated you _terribly_ on that date, and you _still_ kept leading me on."

Frisk blushed at this. What did _that_ mean? Was he testing her the whole time? Frisk didn't like being secretly tested like she was some human psychological experiment. She'd already had experience with that.

"The point is- I was trying to keep you from wanting to actually have this date but you still seemed to want to. You need to learn what kinda guys you deserve." Sans laughed a bit, looking a little embarrassed that he had to get into this conversation like a father would with his daughter. "You should never keep going with a guy who treats ya like that."

"What do you mean? You treated me perfectly fine." Frisk blushed, wanting to cry that Sans wouldn't let her just have this one date and take it seriously instead of as a lesson to her. She could feel the rejection coming on from him.

"I took you to _Grillby's._ Then I proceeded to _nap_ for a while and I didn't have _any_ real conversation with you other than my bad jokes." Sans' practically laughed at Frisk's denial of how he treated her, but she was stubborn.

"So? That's not what a date's about!" Frisk blushed.

"Hm. Well I'm trying to say… A first date is a guy trying to prove something to you. Maybe because we know each other...it's a little bit different, but…"

Frisk interrupted; "You _did_ prove something! You proved that you were still your stupid lazy and comical self and that's all I need. I don't wanna go to a fancy restaurant with some guy and talk about boring stuff. I can do that in the Overworld with a human guy _any day_." Frisk crossed her arms heroically.

Sans could see the stubborn determination in her eyes.

"We're gonna go on _another date!_ And this time- no psychological experiments! Just you and me, somewhere alone this time so our friends don't bother us." Frisk demanded.

"Oh geez...Frisk…" Sans gave a sigh, seeing she wouldn't see it any differently.

"Tomorrow!" Frisk stated, and with a second sigh from Sans, they walked inside to hang out and watch TV with Papyrus.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note:_ **For some reason in that last chapter, while I was editing it, I noticed I put a lot of "as usual". So I changed that a bit...but...what the _heck_? Why did I keep using that to describe stuff? That' just... it's so... lazy.  
Err...anyways, here's another chapter. A bit shorter but that's okay, right? :)**

 **-** _cw_

* * *

 **Chapter II:** **It's a Deal!**

Later in the evening, Alphys took a visit to see Frisk after finishing her day out with Undyne.

"Oh hello, Alphys!" Papyrus greeted the dorky lizard girl at the door.

"H-hey, P-papyrus. Wher- where's Frisk at?" She fumbled her fingers nervously.

"She's inside! I'll get her for you!" Papyrus gleamed.

"Oh and Papyrus- y-you know she and Sans-?" Alphys gulped, feeling awkward talking to a brother about this.

"Yes?"

"Um, went on..w-went on a date?"

"Yeah! Frisk was obsessively trying to get him to take her on one all this week. Wowie! Word gets around." Papyrus remarked.

Alphys nodded "Right. I figured it was her. I was just making sure that Sans wasn't b-being stupi- oh, nevermind."

Papyrus ignored her strange rambling and stuttering and brought Frisk to the door.

"Oh hey, Alphys!" Frisk smiled wide at her friend.

"Fr-Frisk. We need to talk about something."

"Oh?"

"Y-yeah. Let's go get some Nice Cream." Alphys suggested.

Frisk just nodded; "Okay." And went to get her jacket.

As the two trampled through the thick snow together, Alphys got to it.

"W-well, you and Sans…"

"Huh?" Frisk was blushing now.

"Well...Frisk, I hope you're not _serious_ about dating him…" She laughed, trying to get through this without having to be serious, but to no avail.

"What's going on here? You and him both won't take me seriously! What is it that-?"

Frisk's explosion led to a recovery from Alphys.

"See, Frisk. I've actually known Sans for quite a while and, well, trust me...even though he seems like an open book…. There's things you don't know about him." Alphys practically sweat.

"How long? How far back?"

"L-let's just say, for as long as he can...remember?" Alphys seemed unsure.

"Look, Frisk. You know he's able to… 'manipulate' time in the way that _you_ perceive it, so-to-speak?"

Frisk nodded.

"He doesn't do it often."

Frisk nodded again.

"There's reasoning to that." Alphys sighed, not wanting to give the whole story. "Frisk, he and I used to work together."

Frisk just sat there for a moment as they took a seat on a bench. Frisk burst into laughter.

"Are you meaning to tell me that _Sans_ is a _scientist_?!" She laughed.

Alphys half-nodded.

"Not the _Sans_ I know! That's for sure!" She cackled.

"He and his brother...they were...um..." Alphys remained serious, despite Frisk's laughing, but went no further with the story.

"Frisk- Sans can't date you. Maybe he _can_ but he _won't_ and I know that for a fact. Sans puts up with burdens that no monster should ever have to live with."

" _Sans_? Alphys, are you sure you and I are talking about the same skeleton, here?" Frisk raised an eyebrow.

Alphys gave a sigh and changed subjects; "let's go back." She stood up.

"No, Alphys. You have to explain more to me. You only confused me." Frisk felt panicked by this strange background Alphys was giving her all of the sudden.

"Frisk, I really shouldn't… It's not my story to tell. I'm only a part of it."

"But Sans...he's _okay_ right?"

"That depends on what you mean by 'okay'. In my opinion, the answer is no. But he's not been okay since the day you met him, so I suppose it doesn't make much difference for you."

"I don't understand."

"It's confusing even for _me_ as the Royal Scientist."

" _What happened to him_? Why is he _not okay_?" Frisk felt concerned now.

Alphys just decided to walk away and left Frisk to think on her own.

"I have to go. It's strange even for me to talk about, okay Frisk? Please don't ask Sans about it."

Frisk couldn't comprehend what was going on. Was there really a side to Sans that she'd never known about? Perhaps there always _was_ that aura of mystery that subdued a piece of Sans to her, but it never seemed mysterious in the way of deep confusion, danger, or whatever it was that seemed to 'burden' Sans. It only ever interested her in him. She always figured the mystery was mostly because he was too lazy to convey all his feelings or thoughts. But that was far from the truth.

Frisk didn't know what to do now. But she still couldn't accept it. Sans _had_ to date her. Screw everybody. She would get a date out of him if it was the last thing she did.

Sans and Frisk took a walk in the snowy forest as their date. They were alone, but Sans felt strange. Despite the fact that Frisk forced the dating upon him, she seemed uncomfortable and unwilling to do anything.

"Hey kiddo? You okay?" Sans looked at the girl. She seemed upset or concerned.

"Sans...you'd tell me about _a problem you knew_ , right?" She sniffled.

"Yeah, of course, Frisk." Sans sighed; "Frisk...are you okay?"

Frisk stopped in her snow tracks and fell to her knees.

"There's...a whole nother side to you… A background I dunno. Isn't there, Sans?"

"H-hu?"

"You were a scientist, Alphys said."

Sans gave a laugh " huh! I wouldn't put it that way, Frisky." Sans played with her head of hair.

"Th-then…?"

Sans saw the puppy faced girl and saw she was looking for more, but refused to open up.

"Huh? It's nothing, kiddo. Everything's fine. I'm not secretly some evil villain or something." He grinned.

"That's not what I'm worried about." Frisk huffed, getting back up after her quite brief dramatic breakdown.

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Alphys said you _weren't okay_." Frisk broke her promise. She _had_ to figure this out.

Sans stood for a moment and turned to her, making a strange face.

"W-what're you talking about? I'm fine. I have you and Papyrus…" Sans began to list.

"I know but...just because you're happy on the surface…" Frisk pushed. Too far, in fact.

"What...exactly, did Alphys tell you?" Sans asked suspiciously, seeming cold now, compared to his warm self.

"N-not much!" Frisk blushed, wanting to defend her and Alphys immediately. "She was really vague...she didn't want to say anything you didn't want me to know. It's not her fault." Frisk was bright red.

Sans saw how defensive she got and realized she must've seen something in his face.

"Woah, kiddo. It's all good. I'm not angry."

Frisk blushed still and looked down at her hands, fumbling with her fingers.

"You, and Alphys, too… You both keep wanting to keep me away from you." Frisk sighed, sounding surprisingly defeated.

"Hey, kid, I don't want you _away_ from me. You're my best friend." Sans insisted. "But, Frisk, you don't wanna get _that_ close to me. Just trust me, kay?" He grabbed her arm friendly.

Frisk was suddenly given a burst of determination when she thought of a way to win over Sans.

"If you keep going on dates with me, I'll hit you." Frisk yelled, sounding like a threat which made Sans laugh.

" _What_?" He huffed.

"I-I mean… If you go on dates with me, then I'll continue to try and learn to defend myself, I promise!" Frisk lent out her pinky.

Sans thought about it for a second and gave a nod.

"And none of the friend crap dates we've had! You have to take me on a _real_ date!" She grinned, as if her plan was foolproof.

Sans sighed, clearly hoping he'd get by just taking her on walks and going to Grillby's like they did as friends, but Frisk wouldn't have it.

 _I promised to protect her._ Sans thought about what was important for her.

"Okay, kid. We'll go on...dates. But you have to take defending yourself seriously." Sans agreed.

Frisk gave a cheer. "Yay! Okay! Thank you, Sans!" She knelt down and gave him a hug in a childlike way. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She repeated on.

Sans hugged her back slightly and gave a groan; "Dating Frisk...what the heck am I doing…?" He asked himself aloud, but Frisk heard.

"It'll be fun, I promise!" Frisk insisted.

" _Okay,_ kid. I just don't see why you're so determined to date me…" Sans wondered; "At first you said it was to be even with Papyrus, but now you want _more_ than a first date…"

"H-hey stop looking so much into it! What are you- obsessed with me or something?" Frisk blushed, jabbing ironically.

"I'm just sayin'...you never had a _second_ date with Papy…" Sans dug more, clearly wanting to figure out Frisk's motive, even though he already had a couple ideas as to why. They backed out of the hug.

"Yea I did!" Frisk lied.

Sans just looked at her in an extremely doubtful look that made Frisk break.

"Okay I didn't…" She gave in.

"Sooo…"

"So _nothing_!"

* * *

 **;_; I cri evrytiem.**

 **Why?**

 **Because they never got Nice Cream.**

 **Why didn't I fix it?**

 **...**

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) **no reason. absolutely no reason at all.**

 ***puts on _sans_ glasses* (get it? undertale pun)** (⌐□_□) Roasted.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note:_ **I'm sorry for roasting you lovelies in that last note. Sorry. *Hands out free nice cream* Ok I'll shut up now and let you read this slightly longer next chapter.**

- _cw_

* * *

 **Chapter III:** **Goat Mom Will Kill You**

Frisk was taking her time and learning what Sans was teaching her, though throwing punches at her friend felt uncomfortable.

That was when she hit Sans.

One moment he was normal, the next he was on the ground.

"Huh? Sans?!" Frisk knelt to his body.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry this is all my fault! If I weren't so selfish.. I knew doing this practice was bad but I wanted to go on a date with you. Maybe if I weren't so selfish…."

Frisk began to well up tears in her eyes.

How could this happen? Her best friend just laying there.

"Geez..kid you can't take a joke, huh?"

"N-not funny!"

"Okay...you have to learn not to be so-"

"Stupid."

"No… _soft_." Sans giggled at her.

"I can't help it. I don't wanna hurt anyone! Especially not my friends! And anyone who isn't my friend _could_ be my friend someday." Frisk pouted.

Sans thought about how adorable Frisk was about other people. He'd never met someone so genuinely loving and innocent as her. And he'd met a lot of people.

"Alright, Frisk. You should get some rest, I think." Sans suggested. "Let's take ya home to Toriel." he ruffled up her hair and got up.

"And then you have to take me on a date tomorrow!" Frisk grinned victoriously.

"Yeah…" Sans sighed as they walked slowly together in the Snowdin snow while the moon beamed.

"See _about that_ , kiddo…you're not gonna tell _Toriel_ about a date, right? Or at least if you do, you'll tell her it was a _deal_ …" he grit his teeth, literally feeling scared for his life. Toriel was his friend, but she was also Frisk's overprotective mother. Sans could just visualize the death stare reaction of 'Sans is dating me now' from Toriel.

" _So you've just been trying to get close with my daughter all this time, huh? I see how it is…"_

Oh man she would be _piiii-_

"Huh? Of course I'm gonna tell her." Frisk said casually, turning to Sans.

"OH MAN FRISK I'M DEAD- PLEASE DON'T DO THAT!" Sans burst in a scream for one of the few times Frisk had ever heard.

Frisk's face was hysterical.

"Uhhh...you okay? Why are you so freaked out about me telling mom?" Frisk blushed red, looking entirely confused.

"Do you _know_ what Toriel would do to _any guy_ , especially _me_ , trying to date her daughter?! Oh my God _I'm so dead_ …" Sans began to ramble on, wondering what time he had left to live before Toriel utterly destroyed him. " _Especially if we go in there this late and you tell her I'm trying to date you...she'll think we were_ _up_ _to_ _something_ _and she'll_ _kill me_ _!_ " He whispered like an insane person to himself.

"Sans...Toriel likes you! Why would she be angry?" Frisk giggled at his complete insanity.

"Because _she knows me_! No one is good enough for her daughter! Why would someone she _knows_ is just lazy and sits around all day date her daughter?!" Sans shook her. "Frisk- are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"You're not _lazy_!" Frisk gleamed like a perfect little angel who had no judgement on anyone whatsoever.

"Wow, kid, you are either weirdly jaded or you really-" Sans stopped when he realized they were at Frisk's home. Where Toriel was. Right at the door now as it flung open.

"It's okay, I'll lie if it makes you feel better." Frisk whispered to him.

"My child! Sans! Did you two have fun?" The goat mom gleamed blithely.

Frisk nodded "Mhm. Sans helped me practice defending myself."

"Oh that's nice!" Toriel nodded. She was sweet as ever to her daughter, but she could tell there was something strange about Sans. He wasn't being his normal chill and comical self. He was _on edge,_ almost.

"Um, mom, can I go out again with Sans tomorrow?" Frisk smiled cutely as she asked for her mother's permission.

"Of course!" Toriel agreed, without giving a second thought. Frisk and the skeleton brothers hung out together all the time. They were her best friends, and Toriel's friends too.

"Just as friends. Not _going out_ out." Sans added, making it suspicious.

"Yeah, platonically." Frisk added, also making it weird.

"Um...are you two okay?" Toriel began to narrow her eyes at Sans.

Frisk gave in. She wasn't ever very good at lying because she was such a goody-two-shoes. "Um, Sans and I are going on a date tomorrow."

San's pupils were no longer seen from utter fear.

" _Oh really?_ " Toriel's eyes narrowed deeper into a laser-point demon vision, locked straight on to Sans.

" _Dating my daughter, huh Sans?_ " She practically hissed, leaning forward.

"Moom! Don't embarrass me! I can date who I want!" Frisk blushed pink all over her cheeks.

Toriel could see Frisk's flustered face.

"I-I see, my child." She pat Frisk's head. "Very well, Sans. You can date my daughter."

But she leaned forward one more time; "But _my daughter is_ _not_ _a_ _funny joke_ _so don't take her lightly. If you break her heart I will smash you to pieces._ "

"Jeez, Mom! Chill out Sans would never hurt me! Besides- I _made_ him go on a date with me don't ruin this for me." Frisk confessed, feeling bad for Sans.

" _I will make your life a-_ " Toriel registered what her Frisk said. "Oh, you did?"

"Yeah, he kept trying to make me learn to defend myself but I didn't wanna, so in our deal I made him go on dates with me and I'll keep learning to defend myself." Frisk sighed.

Toriel laughed; "Oh, my child!" She giggled, "I thought I taught you; that is not how you get men to go on dates with you!"

"I know but I _tried_ all the other stuff and it didn't work." Frisk groaned, crossing her arms.

"Then perhaps he doesn't _wish_ to date you, sweetheart." She giggled. "Besides, why do you want to date _Sans_ , my child?" She asked, eyeing Sans.

"Mom! He's _right there_!" Frisk blushed.

Sans was flabbergasted. He didn't know Frisk took this so seriously. Before, he thought the dates were sorta a joke or something. But now...Frisk said she'd _tried all the other stuff._ Had she tried to get Sans' attention _before_ , like that? Now Sans felt different about his date tomorrow.

"I guess you were right. My mom _was_ gonna kill you." Frisk bit her lip, apologizing to Sans.

"Hey! I'm not _that_ predictable, am I?!" Toriel crossed her arms.

"Uh...I-It's okay, kiddo." Sans didn't know what to say anymore.

"Sans, you don't _have_ to date my child. I'm sorry she's been so after you. She _is_ rather...determined." Toriel apologized.

"Shut up, mom! I'm gonna get him to like me shhh!" Frisk insisted.

"Frisk, dear, that's not how it works…" Toriel sighed.

"Uhm, well it's not _Frisk._ It's just...I don't think I'm good enough for your daughter, Toriel." Sans laughed sort of.

"Well, she clearly is hellbent on dating you, so I'd say otherwise." Toriel snorted at what Sans said. "Besides, Sans, I didn't know you were so insecure!" Toriel almost laughed.

"Well, it's not like _that_ … I mean that I don't think I'm...fit? For dating Frisk. It's just that she's so young and innocent, and I don't wanna…" Sans didn't know how to put it. "Ruin her." He covered it up. There was a lot more to it that no one should probably ever know. The only person who might know is Papyrus and he never took anything seriously- not even their past.

Papyrus knew Sans had trouble getting close to people. At least, getting _close_ to people. He could make friends, but never get too close. He already felt too close to Frisk, but he knew things about her that she probably didn't know he knew. And Frisk didn't know about Sans' past, or… _other pasts_ either.

He never wanted to explain the complicated story of his father or what happened to him, or the powers he now had because of him. And he didn't want to be forced into drawing someone he loved into that just because he loved them and _had_ to draw them into it. Frisk already had her own strange things going on. Sans _knew_ she could manipulate time as well, but maybe not in the same way. Sans never had a good grasp on his own powers either, and he knew _better_ than Frisk. If Frisk knew any more… there was no telling the things she'd get herself into.

She was too young for that.

Too innocent.

And too pure towards other people to witness so much suffering.

Her determination could hurt as many people as she used it to save.

"It's a little early to be talking about sex with my daughter!" Toriel yelled, narrowing her eyes once more. Frisk's entire face went red.

"W-what?!" Sans blurted.

"Mom...that's not what he's talking about…" Frisk spoke with her face in her palms from embarrassment.

"Oh _c'mon_ I know that's what you're trying to say! She's so _innocent_ and _young_ and you're not or whatever! _No_ you can't take my daughter's virginity!" Toriel shouted, looking as if people were accusing her of being irrational when she was the only rational one there.

"I'm going home." Sans shook his head, almost laughing at Toriel. "Oh my god, Toriel I don't even wanna think about that! Why would you bring that up?" Sans shouted as he walked away.

"I'll text you later!" Toriel waved as if no weird conversation had just taken place at all.

"Yeah, yeah…" Sans waved in the distance.

"Mom!" Frisk stomped her foot as Toriel closed the door.

"What?!" Toriel looked as if she'd been accused, being totally innocent.

"You're _so embarrassing!_ " Frisk huffed.

"Oh no, Frisk, you've definitely reached puberty now." Toriel laughed. "You're so adorable- so worried about how you look in front of _Sans_!"

She laughed even more at the thought.

"If there's one person no one should _ever_ be bashful around, it's _Sans_." Toriel went back to sewing whatever she was sewing in front of the fire in her chair. "He's a lazy idiot by default, my child!" She giggled, looking through her reading glasses to focus on her sewing.

Frisk just gave a sigh and began to walk into the kitchen when Toriel stopped her.

"Frisk, dear, come here." She beckoned her to her chair.

Frisk walked up and the goat mom held her face and looked into her eyes to get a good reaction.

"Do you _really_ want to date Sans?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Mhm." Frisk nodded, trying to hold back her smile and blushing.

"My child!" Toriel almost shouted, trying not to laugh. "You better be good with hearing _really stupid puns_ for the rest of your life if that's who you wanna marry!"

"Mom! I didn't say I wanted to _marry_ him!" Frisk became flustered.

"You seem like you want to!" Toriel giggled, returning to her sewing.

"Wh-whaddya mean?" Frisk blushed, standing still now compared to her previous flailing rampage.

"Oh nothing...you just seemed so flustered earlier in front of Sans and I'd never noticed it before." Toriel winked.

Frisk sighed and pulled up a chair, feeling like she'd never get out of this without telling Toriel the whole story. "Can I tell you the whole reason?"

Toriel looked so glad; "Of course!"

"Well, it all started last week when Sans _insisted_ that I learn to defend myself…"

"Didn't Undyne try to do the same thing for you?" Toriel laughed, wondering how Sans got her to do such a thing.

"Yeah, you have to keep listening...he went outside and tried to fight me but I refused to hit him." Frisk looked down in a somewhat ashamed way. She felt so weak.

"...So I used a pun to hit on him to distract him so I wouldn't have to _hit_ him literally." Frisk blushed.

"My child! You do not _actually_ like him?!" Toriel looked flabbergasted that Frisk would act such a way. "Why would you lead him on like that?"

"No, that's just the thing...I got him to go on a date with me with the excuse that Papyrus went on a date with me so he should, too." Frisk went on; "That part was all just a distraction. But then something hit me when I was on a date with Sans…"

Toriel leaned in out of interest. The story was getting good.

"I thought about how, despite the fact that Sans treated the time we had on a date like any other time we had together, I _enjoyed_ the date _a lot_. And I thought about how people like you and Asgore only love each other because well...you two can enjoy each other's company. And that's mostly what love is, right?" Frisk blurt out in one prophetic small speech.

"W-well, yes, but there is a little more to it...but I'm sure you and Sans can have the rest of what makes up love by dating." Toriel smiled proudly at what Frisk had recognized about life.

"But I'm worried that won't happen. And I'm worried it isn't supposed to because I'm a human, and...other reasons." Frisk solemnly thought about the powers she had that she didn't want to talk about.

"My child, if there is one thing _you_ can do- it is _love_!" Toriel beamed at the sweet girl. "In the little time you have spent here in the underworld...you have loved more than anyone I have come to know."

"I already love Sans...but only in the way that I love _you_ too...and Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Mettaton…" Frisk listed all her friends that she had come to love. "But I don't really know if I understand _romantic_ love."

Toriel gave a hearty giggle. "That will all come with experience and age, believe me. And whether you're a human or a monster has nothing to do with any of that." Toriel grabbed Frisk's cheek lovingly. "I am so proud of you, my child."

Frisk decided she shouldn't bring up all that Alphys had told her. She just couldn't. There was so much _she herself_ didn't understand, so there was no reason to bring Toriel in it. But still...she did wonder….

"Okay I'm going to bed." She spoke softly.

"Goodnight, my child. Asgore told me to tell you goodnight, as well. He's in bed since he is not feeling well." Toriel explained the big fluff monster's absence.

"Oh, I was wondering...do you know who the last Royal Scientist before Alphys was?" Frisk asked meekly.

"Oh? Hm, I'm not quite sure I remember...I'll have to ask Asgore. Is there any reason why?" Toriel asked.

"No reason...just someone brought it up today and I was wondering." Frisk tried to play it off.

Why had she never heard of the last scientist? Were they really _that_ forgotten? She knew this had everything to do with Alphys and Sans both.

As she walked off to bed and fell asleep, the thoughts wandered her mind.

She wondered if, despite her efforts, Sans would ever even _have_ her. What was it that kept him away from people? He wasn't ever _away_ from people, but Frisk had never seen him date or _care_ to date like everyone else in town.

All the monsters were expected to date and have fun just like the humans were expected to. Even Papyrus _tried_ to. Which was comical. Alphys and Undyne had each other. Mettaton went on all kinds of dates but he was too popular to commit just yet. Toriel and Asgore were together again. But Frisk was only just now getting to the age of being able to date seriously, and perhaps the openness of her close friend Sans seemed like the right opportunity. Or maybe Frisk was too scared to try dating someone she didn't understand or know. Yet, ironically she learned that even the people she thought she understood became even more complicated the closer she got to them- like Sans.

But somehow, not knowing Sans the way she _thought_ she did gave her _determination_. And perhaps _that_ was why she dated him. She knew Papyrus. He was an open book. Mettaton literally put his life on TV. Alphys and Undyne told Frisk all their secrets all the time because it was a girl thing. But, yet, Sans always kept quiet about things when he wasn't just making silly jokes or having one of their few, but strangely deep, serious conversations. There was a shroud of mystery surrounding Sans, and Frisk wanted to uncover it. She wanted to help him, even though it seemed like more of a prying thing. Sans was her friend, and the idea that he was suffering this whole time and never saying a thing about it bothered her.

Did he ever talk to Papyrus about it?

She realized that, despite the fact the two brothers were close, Papyrus seemed to always let Sans do his own thing and never asked any questions.

Just thinking about all this made Frisk feel like she had even less a chance of uncovering the truth and almost no chance of getting close to Sans in the way she wanted to.

She felt strange just thinking about the new way she viewed Sans.

Her view didn't really change, nor her perspective, but maybe her feelings changed. At least, she knew, her feelings while being _around him_ definitely changed. She felt giddy and silly and sometimes stupid. Where she would usually open up, she now found herself stopping and blushing and holding back on things she would normally tell him.

And now she didn't even know who she could talk to about it. What do girls normally do? Talk to other girls?

Frisk had a sudden idea that filled her with **determination**.

* * *

 **I loved (writing) the idea of Sans just _thinking_ about what Tori would do to him for dating her daughter. Seriously. Idk why but it made me giggle furiously. Because you know it's true. She'd freak the hell out. Get ready for more fun next chapter! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note:_ **So here is my last chapter I am posting for the first day of publish! I already have a _crapton_ written for the next chapter (maybe two?) and it is getting extra fun to write. In fact, the next bit is inspired by another story which I will link on the chapter once it is posted (which may be this weekend or Monday). Also can I just say...why the heck is 90% of my writing on stories that are just crap that I fandom out on _dialogue?!_ Like, seriously, am I just entirely unable to describe things when I write in third person?**

- _cw_

* * *

 **Chapter IV:** **Monster Boys Are Better**

The next morning, Frisk awoke and put her clothes on immediately, eating breakfast and simultaneously texting Alphys, Undyne, and Mettaton.

She wanted to hang out with them before she went on her date today. She _needed_ some feminine advice. Or at least some feminine empathy.

She invited them over and received an answer text within seconds from all of them. She didn't _tell_ them it was about this because she didn't want it to totally be about _her_.

When the three all came to her house, they brought all kinds of snacks and films.

Alphys seemed totally indifferent from their last chat, and seemed to be enjoying herself as well.

"Frisk, dear, let's give each other makeovers!" Mettaton clapped excitedly. Frisk knew this _actually_ meant that Mettaton was going to do everyone's makeup like the artist he was.

He started with Undyne, and the four of them began to chat about their weeks until suddenly the subject arose without Frisk even trying to herself.

"Alphys and I had fun this week but I know _someone else who did too._ " Undyne smiled Frisk's way and everyone turned, pressuring her to open up.

"Yeah, darling, there _has_ to be a reason you had us over." Mettaton read so well.

"Well...um…"

Alphys was going to kill her for this...she _specifically_ told her not to.

"Tonight I'm uh...going on a date!" Frisk tried to smile and be happy without specifying, but her friends weren't idiots. At least _most of the time_ they weren't.

Mettaton gave a gasp. He'd been trying to pair her on dates for ages.

"And well...I need some…monster advice." Frisk blushed across her cheeks in pink. She didn't want to admit it, but even though she spent most of her life around monsters, she still naturally just didn't know as much about them.

"Of course darling!~" Mettaton sang. "But first~ you have to tell us who, dear! C'mon it's _killing us_!"

Frisk sighed. She didn't want to. At first this seemed like a good idea, but now...her friends were going to judge her. Or at least laugh at her. And how could she blame them? She would laugh, too, if someone told her they were going to date comic lazybones.

"Uh...em…." Frisk went quiet and her friends all leaned in.

"I knew you would find a better date!" Alphys smiled, seeming so convinced that Frisk had moved on to better things and that Sans would _never_ have allowed a date with the girl.

Undyne seemed set, too, that Frisk was surely going with someone else- because Alphys was sure, and she trusted her for thinking. On most levels, at least.

"I'm...well...don't laugh." Frisk blushed red now.

"Why would we laugh?" Mettaton gave his fabulous sweet smile.

"I'm going...with…" Frisk began to breathe a little loud, but at least her friends didn't seem to notice. She could feel the pressure coming on.

"Sans." Frisk looked down in shame.

She wondered to herself if it was healthy to be ashamed of the person she was dating. Frisk concluded that it was okay in this case because her friends all knew him and she felt pressure.

"W-what?" Alphys stuttered. Undyne just seemed to shrug, she figured Alphys just had the wrong idea. Alphys must not have told her what she told Frisk about Sans. That he wasn't really _supposed_ to be dating. Or something like that.

Mettaton just had a look of mixed disappointment and surprise, along with a face that came later- him trying to hold back a laugh.

"F-Frisk...it's okay, I don't j-judge…" Mettaton tried not to laugh. Then he burst into giggles; "OH I'M SORRY DARLING BUT IT'S JUST SO FUNNY! _Sans_? Really?!"

Frisk groaned; "See? I knew you'd laugh...who _wouldn't?_ " Frisk shook her head at herself.

"Frisk?! How'd you get him to still continue dating you?" Alphys seemed surprised.

Frisk had a look of apologeticness on her face.

"I know, you told me he wouldn't date me, but well…" Frisk huffed a laugh and smirked; "that only gave me more determination to date him."

Undyne cheered; "Love knows no boundaries!"

Frisk laughed a little at this silliness.

"So where are you going?" Mettaton asked, calming himself from his laugh fit.

"Huh? I dunno? He just told me to dress nice. I forced him to take me on a _real_ date." Frisk smiled, feeling proud of her victory.

Her friends all giggled at this.

Mettaton got to work automatically on Frisk's makeup and then hair. He kept it simple.

"Frisk, dear, I just still _have to ask_...I'm sure the others are wondering, too…." Mettaton held in his giggles; "Why _Sans_?" he smirked, looking truly baffled.

Frisk blushed. Here came that question again. Why were people so confused? She barely knew _herself_. Were all people supposed to have answers as to exactly why they liked someone? Or was that just a monster thing?

"Er...well...everyone keeps asking me this and…" Frisk shrugged; "I dunno. Am I _supposed_ to know why I like someone?"

Frisk thought about it for a moment.

"Well I guess you don't have to, but with Sans...there _has_ to be a reason." Mettaton laughed. "What are some of the reasons you hang out with him, for example?"

"Well….he's fun to be around. He's funny...he doesn't take things too seriously, but he _can_ if you know him enough." Frisk blushed a little; "And, well, this might seem weird, but; I like him because of how he treats his brother."

"Huh?" Undyne seemed confused now.

"It's just that...he's so nice to Papyrus, despite the bane of, well... _Papyrus_. I think his devotion to his brother says a lot about him." Frisk shrugged. "...and I guess he's cute, too." Frisk thought of how she hadn't really gotten the time to ponder her fondness for Sans out loud. Talking to her friends really _did_ help her figure out her feelings, no matter how much they laughed at her. At least they had the decency to take her _feelings_ seriously.

"I always thought you would date a human." Mettaton shrugged.

"Monster boys are better." Frisk grinned.

"I always thought she would date Papyrus." Undyne admitted.

"What? _Why_?" Frisk made a weird face.

"I dunno...you guys just seemed close." Undyne shrugged.

"That's because we're friends. But nothing more. Paps is...kinda weird about that." Frisk laughed, remembering back to their date.

"Oh, yeah." Undyne giggled.

Mettaton took a good look at the masterpiece he had created. Frisk looked amazing. She put on a dress that she rarely ever wore that Toriel had intended for her to wear on many more occasions.

"You look beautiful!" Her friends squealed.

" _Too good_ for Sans. To be honest." Mettaton smirked, sighing as if she were wasting her beauty.

In no time Toriel had opened the door for Sans and all Frisk's friends came out with her squealing.

"Oh god…" Sans groaned, "you brought them into this, too?"

Frisk nodded.

Sans gave a sigh.

Toriel laughed at the whole ordeal. "Bye bye, have fun!" She waved to them.

"And don't you _dare_ try to use her or I will kill you and everyone you love…" Toriel hissed to Sans as they walked out.

" _Jesus, Tori_! This is like the fifth time I've had to tell you she _made me_ …" Sans practically cried as they left, Frisk dragging him.

Frisk noticed her friends make a weird face at this.

" _Made_ him…?" Mettaton looked at Frisk in confusion.

"I...uh... _see you!_ " She waved to her friends and left quickly, still dragging Sans out the door.

Toriel laughed at her confused friends and sat them down to explain while the two went on their date.

Sans felt weird about this. At first, he thought it'd just be something stupid he had to get over with. But ever since he heard Frisk talk to Toriel last night, he had a different perspective. Did Frisk really just have a big _crush_ on him?

It was strange for him to think about. He'd always been so close to the kid, and now…

"So where are we going?" Frisk asked cutely as she walked alongside him.

Suddenly Sans felt weird when he realized Frisk was dressed up so nicely and her makeup made her look pretty.

He guessed that that was what humans did.

"...Sans?" Frisk tilted her head adorably.

"H-huh? Oh…" Sans felt embarrassed for once. "Um, I was...gonna take you to that restaurant in the hotel…" He explained.

Frisk gave a happy nod; "Okay!"

Sans loved how she was always a ball of light.

When they got into the nice restaraunt, Frisk sat silently, yet smiled brightly at absolutely nothing. Sans just wondered what she smiled for.

"So you decided to invite Undyne, Mettaton, and...Alphys to your house before we went out?" Sans brought the subject up.

"Oh...y-yeah." Frisk nodded briskly, feeling awkward. "I needed...friends to talk to."

"Oh. Ok." Sans didn't know what to say. The whole thing was very awkward.

"So…" Sans spoke in reaction to Frisk's never ending bright smile that was sort of freaking him out for some reason.

"How's Papyrus?" Frisk brought up.

"He's okay…for some reason he thinks that he should be getting involved in the whole dating thing." Sans sighed, laughing somewhat. "Sooo now he's basically attempting to flirt with _everyone_ he runs into."

Frisk laughed. "Is it because _you're_ dating now?" she leaned in, smirking.

"I guess." Sans shrugged.

Slowly, after a while, Sans and Frisk returned to the happy zone that was their friendship. They were goofing off and Sans was telling puns in no time.

By the time they were leaving the restaurant, the two were wrestling in the snow and having a snowball fight.

"It's a good thing you're a skeleton." Frisk smiled up at Sans, laying in the snow lazily after hours of giggling and tussling.

"Huh? I figured that'd be a bad thing for a human." Sans scoffed at the strange kid as he sat down beside her. "You're into the weird stuff, huh kid?" He laughed at her.

"No, no...I just mean it's good you're a skeleton because you have a skele _ton_ of fun and it really makes me want _tibia_ friend forever." Frisk smiled proudly.

Sans laughed; "Wow that was a nice try, I must say." He went on; "But I must say, even skeletons get pretty _bone_ ly. It's mostly because we don't _have the guts_ to talk to anyone."

Frisk giggled madly.

"And it can get really bad, because no matter how much they know us, they can _see right through_ us." Sans smirked.

Frisk was still busy giggling. Sans loved how easily she could get started. She loved bad puns for some reason.

Sans continued to play with her in the snow and the two totally lost track of time, messing around in the Snowdin cold. In the midst of a snowball fight, Frisk got knocked over by Sans and she stretched a little; "Be gentle..." She said flirtatiously. Sans freaked the hell out from this, he wasn't expecting it at all- and it made his heart pound out of his rib cage.

"Wh...wha…" Sans couldn't form words, let alone sentences.

That's when Frisk giggled uncontrollably and made a sudden attack; "Tricked ya! You're so easily _distracted_." Frisk smirked at Sans, somewhat glad that her victory included him getting flustered from her voice.

"N-not...fair!" Sans blushed.

Frisk suddenly freaked out. She'd never seen such an adorably embarrassed expression from Sans before. It made her heart flutter.

"Sans! That is so cute!" Frisk squealed and his face changed to a confused expression.

"Huh? What's cute?" He blushed.

"That expression you made! I didn't know you could blush like that!" Frisk bit her lip excitedly.

"Oh…" Sans nodded, not sure what to do.

Frisk pulled on his sleeve; "It's getting late. I don't want Toriel to get angry at you or me."

They walked under the moonlight through the snowy road all the way to Toriel's home which was also the child's.

As they arrived back, Frisk took over in a random rush. She blushed heavily; "Um, okay, thanks for the date it was really nice…" Frisk looked away and bit her lip for a moment, not sure what was appropriate. She decided to forget what was appropriate versus what she should do for a moment and simply did what she felt like doing. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, quickly running away after; "OKAY SEE YOU LATER FOR DEFENSE TRAINING BYE!" She practically yelled as she walked up to her home, trying to play the kiss off.

Sans just stood there, not sure what just happened. He didn't know how he felt, so he just walked it off as he went home.

When he arrived home, Papyrus was practically waiting at the door like a creeper.

"OHHH LOOK WHO IS HOME! HOW WAS YOUR DATE WITH THE HUMAN SAAAANS?" Papyrus grinned.

"Paps, buddy, you have _got_ to chill out about me dating Frisk. It wasn't even _my choice_!" Sans blushed.

"SAAAANS YOU'RE BLUSHING!" Papyrus pried.

"You're looking into it too much…" Sans brushed him off, walking to his room discreetly so Papyrus wouldn't bother him about it.

As he locked his door, Papyrus practically clawed at the door.

"It was fun wasn't it?!" Papyrus cheered.

"Yes. Sure, bro." Sans sighed, giving him the stupid answer he wanted.

"I KNEW IT!" Papyrus squealed. "Was the human looking attractive?"

Sans blushed to himself. He didn't know. He wasn't paying enough attention...he didn't _want_ to know if he thought she was attractive. But his brother did. Weirdly enough.

"Um...I guess, yeah." He groaned, giving yet another answer Papyrus wanted to hear.

"Nyehehehe!" Papyrus giggled through the door at him.

"And?!"

"And what….?"

"Well did you two KISS?!"

"Paps, I don't have lips."

"Well did you ATTEMPT TO KISS?!"

Sans laughed a little at this all. Then he remembered, that technically they _did_. Frisk gave him that kiss on his cheek. Maybe she knew he couldn't kiss her back. Or maybe she was simply trying to give a cute kiss like that.

Sans couldn't know. He thought he knew more than Frisk knew this whole time, and yet here he was feeling more confused and in the unknown about the quiet, sweet human more than anyone.

"Em...well she gave me a kiss on the cheek...but it was really uncalled for." Sans shook his head, giggling at remembering Frisk all over him. She was so obsessed with dating him and he had no idea why, but she seemed to be obsessed with _him_ , too, a bit. All evening she'd been fawning over him on their date, and when they played in the snow together, Frisk took every chance to touch him, Sans thought. But when he thought about it, he realized maybe he only just noticed her touches because _he himself_ was conscious of it now. He pondered Frisk's youth, as well, and figured that she was new to dating so she was doing all sorts of exciting things that result in adult's experience through trial and error.

"Maybe I need to let her _fail_ at dating me…" Sans spoke aloud to himself. "No...that would only determine her more." He concluded, sighing.

"Wowie! In no time you two will be MARRIED!" Papyrus cheered excitedly.

Sans stopped all train of thought "What?! No!" He shook his head furiously, despite the fact that Papyrus couldn't see him because he was behind a door.

"Paps I'm not _supposed_ to be dating her I'm just doing it to get her to learn to defend herself." Sans winced at the statement once more. Why was his brother so excited about this?

"Suuure!" Papyrus laughed; "C'mon Sans! You won't embarrass me if you have a girlfriend and I don't if that's what you're worried about!"

"Whatever…" Sans groaned, giving up.

"Sans!"

"Night."

"But- Sans!"

"Goodnight."

"But SAAANS!"

"Goodnight, brother."

* * *

 **Ok -not gonna lie- half of my dialogue between Sans and Papyrus is _totally_ spoken out in my head as my _own_ brother's voice because of how sometimes my brother and I are being dorks and pretending to talk to each other as Sans and Papyrus. We don't do that normally, though.**

 **i promise.**

 **pls don't think i'm weird.**

 **okay I am... w/e.**

 **NEXT CHAPTER SOON... IGNORE ALL THAT!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note:_ **Hey dur! :D Sorry I meant to update this chapter on Monday...but I wanted to do a celebratory Valentine's Day chapter (which is chapter 6) and I didn't want to release them separately if it was _already_ late so...yeah. Apologies!**

 **Anyways- this chapter is inspired by my current _favorite_ fanfic (which JUST released a new chapter and i'm so excited) and here is the link:**

 **s/11679878/1/A-curious-human-called-Frisk**

 **It is by Kaiisa and she is an amazing writer so give her some support please! (I like her story more than my own lmao).**

 _-cw_

* * *

 **Chapter 5:** **Party Time**

It had been several weeks now and Frisk and Sans had already gotten into some strange routine of learning to hit each other and then going on half-assed dates.

"Well they aren't _half-assed_ really." Frisk spoke aloud to herself. Sure, they didn't go out to a nice dinner ever again, but Frisk and him had fun every time. And Frisk _always_ made sure to do something uncomfortable for Sans just to make him blush light blue so that the date was an actual _date_ and not two friends just hanging out.

Frisk didn't know why, but she just loved seeing her calm and cool skeleton friend get bashful. All she had to do was say something or touch him on the shoulder and he'd explode. He _hated_ the idea that they were going out. He wanted to be Frisk's friend and nothing more; and being a friend meant keeping the other friend happy. Unfortunately, in Frisk's case, happiness somehow included going on dates with him.

His bashfulness wasn't really an outbreak of embarrassment of releasing passionate feelings, but rather- a display of how awkward and unhappy he was with what they were doing together.

Ever since his past, Sans only ever wanted to focus his life on staying happy and enjoying life with friends. He didn't have time to just mope around about what he had in the past. He had to live in the present- and he did that with Papyrus, Toriel, eating at Grillby'z, and making up puns.

Frisk was confused with the whole ordeal, because she felt happy, but then somehow she also felt unhappy. That the dates weren't real. Or, at least, Sans didn't treat them as if they were real _later_. She loved her time with Sans, and he did too, so she wondered why that hadn't blossomed into the crush that it had in _her_ eyes the same way for him.

Today was another date and she sat, brushing her hair in the mirror and wondering too much about things. For this date, she wanted to look nice. After the trouble of her first nice date with Sans, she gave up and started being lazy about looks. But today, she felt pressure for some reason. She wanted to look nice, but not overdone. She wanted Sans to be impressed by her.

"If he even _can_ be." She mumbled angrily to herself in the mirror as she put on eyeliner carefully.

Once she finished, she left her room and walked into the living room where Toriel sat. Her goat mom had gotten used to the routine dates as well. But she didn't seem to catch on to San's distaste for the whole dating thing, because she thought her child was precious and _anyone_ \- including her trusted friends- was out to take her for themselves.

"Have a good time!" Toriel grinned, knowing Sans would be there soon. "And remember to be back _before_ ten." She eyed her.

"Mom... _that's_ not gonna happen…" Frisk sighed, blushing from embarrassment that her mom was thinking about that. Secretly, though, Frisk had broken the rule _quite a lot_. But not for the reasons her mother was suspicious of.

She and Sans loved to play around sometimes for hours on end and they would lose track of time so easily. It was always dumb things- playing in the snow and having snowball fights, chasing each other around Snowdin in the dark, pranking Papyrus…

Frisk giggled just thinking about all the fun they had.

"Then why are you giggling?!" Toriel seemed astonished and terrified, as if Frisk giggles meant she had disobeyed her in the worst of ways.

Frisk realized how bad her giggle seemed in context.

"I wasn't laughing about that…I was thinking about…." Frisk blushed and stopped for a moment. "Past dates."

Toriel put _everything_ she had down.

"My child! Please tell me you are joking!" Toriel seemed to beg.

Frisk was confused. She just _knew_ her overprotective mom would start taking ideas out of context again.

"Did you and Sans-?" Toriel looked at her, not wanting to say.

"What…?" Frisk felt confused as to what the flying heck her mother was freaking out about.

"OH. Oh my God, _mom_!" Frisk's entire face went red in an instant. " _No_! You're such a weirdo! Sans barely wants to _date_ me, much less-"

"Don't act like _I'm_ the crazy one here! The only response _I_ was given was a giggle and you blushing about doing things in the past with him." Toriel yelled.

"Mom, you take things out of context." Frisk spoke through her hands, facepalming like no child had ever facepalmed before.

"I do _not_!" Toriel squealed, making Frisk laugh. Their 'conversation' was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Okay...I _gotta go_ now, mom." Frisk rolled her eyes, taking the chance to run for it.

" _Bye_ you two! Have a good time!" Toriel waved as Frisk opened the door to reveal Sans.

"But not _too good_!" Toriel hissed.

"Uggh! Mom!" Frisk blushed, shutting the door in a flurry of rage.

"Hey." Sans greeted quite plainly, hands in his jacket pockets.

"H-hi." Frisk pulled her hair behind her ear shyly.

"Frisk."

"Hm?"

"Sorry, but...I don't have any plans for tonight. I'm outta date ideas." Sans put, sounding aggravated.

"That's okay!" Frisk smiled. "Because you're amazing...um…. _dating partner_ already has plans!"

"Really?" Sans looked surprised.

Frisk gave a nod; "Mettaton is throwing a party, and _everyone_ is gonna be there. In fact, my mom doesn't know, but we're totally gonna be partying _all night_!" Frisk cheered. "And I'm gonna drink _alcohol_!" She cheered like a child who had no idea what they were really getting themselves into.

"Uh...okay, sounds fun." Sans just kind of laughed. He wasn't much of a party person. He didn't like all the stuff going on at the same time. He was too tired for that stuff _any_ time of day. He didn't care enough.

They walked a couple blocks down the street and finally found the house the party was being thrown at.

Inside, almost _every_ monster in town was there, and even a couple tourist humans were there.

"Hey, kiddo this party's pretty crazy." Sans commented. Frisk nodded excitedly.

Sans could tell she was excited and this was her first time at a cool party, so he went along with it, though he _really_ didn't want to have to look like he was _going_ with her.

Frisk and Sans looked around, constantly running into or seeing their friends and acquaintances of all types- they weren't joking when they said everyone would be there.

Even Papyrus was there. Frisk was a little worried that word would get around that she was there, but she didn't care. She wanted to party hard. Frisk had Sans follow her everywhere and Sans would've ran off elsewhere if it weren't for the fact that he knew he'd have to watch over her- as if he was the babysitter Toriel hired to stalk her daughter or something. He kept a bit of distance and looked around because he didn't want to look like he was _with_ Frisk, despite the fact she was having him follow. Sans was reading a magazine the same way he did during his jobs.

After a couple minutes of socializing, Frisk finally decided to go to the snack table and there she bumped into a human.

All of the monsters were in awe of the humans that came; almost as much as the awe that the humans were in when they came to tour Snowdin and the capital. This human happened to be a boy- just around Frisk's age. He had a mop of chestnut hair and green eyes that glimmered. He had the whole 'skater' feel about him, which Frisk didn't know much about, but she was attracted to guys who were as chill as he. She was immediately in a mode of idolization.

"H-hi…" Frisk pushed her hair behind her ear the same way she did when she saw Sans earlier.

"Hey- you're a human, too. Are you also a tourist?" The cute boy asked, drink in hand.

"No...I, um….live in the capital. Or just outside it, sorta. I'm adopted." Frisk explained, blushing but smiling.

Sans immediately noticed their interactions. His interest suddenly peaked as he raised his head above the magazine he was lazily reading to see Frisk interacting with this human boy the way she acted around _him_ on their dates.

"Really? That's super cool!" The boy smiled cheekily at her. "Hey, you're kinda cute...my name's Nate- wanna get some drinks over there?"

"Sure! Uh, I'm Frisk." Frisk nodded briskly, looking excitable.

"Awesome, nice to meet you Frisk! That's a cute name. Hey, one sec I gotta go to the bathroom but I'll be right back, kay?" The boy told her and Frisk gave a nod, dismissing him as he walked away.

Sans interest now exceeded that of simply peering over his magazine. Something about that boy...it made his _**blood boil**_. He had a sudden rage that he hadn't felt in _years_.

 _Maybe it was because that boy was trying to take advantage of her...yeah that's it_ , he thought to himself.

"Who's that?" Sans finally walked up closer to Frisk, getting nosey.

"Huh?" Frisk turned to Sans with a look of embarrassment shrouding her expression. She was _supposed_ to be on a date with _Sans_ and here she was, flirting with a human boy on their date. "Oh...his name is Nate. I dunno we just met but he seems cool." Frisk shrugged, trying to play it off.

" _Cool_ , huh?" Sans criticized.

"What? Oh don't try to tell me you're _jealous._ " Frisk huffed, angrily crossing her arms. "You don't seem to care anyways." She grumbled quietly.

The boy came back to see his new crush with a monster guy standing next to her.

"Hey, I'm back- uh, who's this?" The boy attempted to smile.

Frisk began to introduce when Sans interrupted and introduced himself.

"Sans. I'm her _boyfriend_." He nodded angrily, making the kid walk away.

"Oh….I _gotta go_ …" Nate walked away awkwardly; "S-see ya, Frisk…"

Frisk waved, but was still flabbergasted.

" _B-boyfriend_ …?!" She had her hand over her mouth in pleased astonishment and a light pink blush overturned her cheeks.

"Y-yeah...so what?" Sans huffed, still high in enragement from the boy trying to take what was rightfully his.

Sans' anger suddenly turned into a protective energy he'd never felt before. He felt...overbearing, a little. And sorta overprotective . His enragement turned into a strange mix of ownership and passion.

Frisk looked so happy.

Sans took her by the hand and dragged her all over the place at the party.

Frisk didn't really figure out what triggered it, but she _loved_ it. When Sans saw the boy staring at her from across the room, he took action _soon_.

"Hey kiddo, c'mere." He embraced her in a warm hug, resting his head on her cute little shoulder. Frisk froze all over. She couldn't believe what was happening.

She warmed herself up against Sans' blue jacket and nuzzled her face against his shoulder. She never thought she'd ever have this chance. Her face was red all over, but she didn't care.

In the midst of his obsessive hug, Sans looked at the boy who had been flirting with Frisk earlier and he gave him a threatening look that scared the mop-headed boy away.

"Hey, you're kinda cute today, kiddo." Sans commented.

Frisk gave a cutesy giggle; "Really? Thanks. You look pretty cute, too...but you always do." She smirked.

Sans blushed his light blue and couldn't think of what to say back, so he just stayed quiet.

"I wish that…" Sans began to say something, but realized he shouldn't.

Frisk took the opportunity and gave him a kiss on his skull cheek.

That's when they were entirely interrupted.

"SANS! I KNEW YOU WERE LYING NYEHEHEHEHEEEH!" Papyrus came from the crowd, creeping around after seeing Sans and Frisk embracing.

"You're _totally_ into the human!" He cheered, looking super excited for some weird reason.

"Oh my god...Papy, please…" Sans groaned, leaving his embrace."NO! Sans I won't stop! I _can't_ stop! You two are just _soo cute together_!" Papyrus squealed like a fangirl.

"Hey, Papyrus…." Frisk waved, wanting him to realize that she _was_ there instead of weirdly talking as if she weren't there.

"Hello, Human! I am so happy you two are together! I totally _ship it_!" Papyrus beamed at the two. Frisk gave a gulp. She knew Papyrus' excitement was probably going to ruin her chances, because Sans only seemed to hate the idea of dating her when other people were involved. She laughed a little at Papyrus using the term _ship_ , though.

"Where'd you learn _that_ , Papyrus?" Frisk grinned.

Papyrus sighed and informed her; "From Undyne's girlfriend, of course!"

 _Of course it was Alphys teaching him these things…_ Frisk thought.

"Despite the shocking fact that my _lazy_ and _useless_ brother has obtained a girlfriend before, I, the Great Papyrus… I can still forgive him all in the name of love." He declared, almost heroically.

Frisk shook her head a little and laughed. "Right, well...thanks, Papyrus." Frisk smiled at her best friend and gave him a quick hug.

"Yeah. Thanks, Papy. Very generous. Now go." Sans ordered, sounding uninterested and angry, trying to brush his brother off quickly. He took a second or two to realize that he sounded sort of mean, so he added on; "Please."

"Very well, Sans. But do not think that all of this has made me forget you _still need_ to…" Papyrus went on listing about a million things Sans needed to do that he _never_ did.

Sometimes Frisk forgot _just how_ lazy he was.

"Yeah, Papy...sorry to interrupt, but I _know_ the things I need to do." Sans sighed. "So can you go now?" He practically pleaded now. Frisk was giggling at the whole scene before her, and Sans threw a glance at her, wondering what her cute little giggle was about.

"GAH! FINE, SANS! But you better get _something_ done before tomorrow." Papyrus, threatened, finally walking away and into the crowd again.

Sans gave a sigh of relief.

"So...um…" Frisk blushed and stood, looking confused and not sure what to do now. Suddenly the mousy girl lit up with an idea on her mind; "Drinks!" she declared, quickly parading over to the alcohol.

Sans shook his head; he _knew_ it was _not_ a good idea to let her do this, even though she was old enough, but…

"Hehe! Hmmm which should I drink first?!" She cheered, looking like an absolute child.

Sans _couldn't_ interrupt her. She was just so excited. And it wasn't like _he_ had any ideas of what to do now that their embrace had been awkwardly interrupted.

 _Well...she'll probably hate alcohol anyways._ Sans thought to himself.

That's when he turned and saw the kid literally _chugging_ out of red solo cups.

"What the?!" Sans panicked.

 _What was I thinking?! Now she's gonna get drunk, and look like an idiot, and… and…_

"Oh my God…" Sans shuddered to himself. "If I return her home to Toriel... _drunk_ …." he gave a horrified gulp.

"I AM SO DEAD AGAIN!"

Frisk laughed at Sans. "What? What's wrong with you, silly?" she smiled cutely.

"Kid- I mean, Frisk- I mean… _whatever_. Isn't that beer, um… gross?" He smiled, hoping to off-put her purely through comments.

"Huh? Yeah, but...I wanna get drunk." Frisk made a confused face.

"What?!" He screamed. What the heck was wrong with Frisk? Why did she _want_ to get drunk? Man, humans had a weird way of thinking…

Frisk stood there for a moment, making mixed faces of confusion, puzzlement, and hilarity at the Sans freaking out before her. He was really going crazy.

"I mean, um…" Sans gulped again. "If you come home to Toriel, drunk...I don't think she'll be very happy." he finally explained, but to no avail.

"What? _That's_ what you're freaking out about?" Frisk uncharacteristically scoffed, looking like she didn't give a care in the world. "Toriel is _just fine_. She just wants me to get home before ten." she took another sip. "Which I'm _not_ gonna do."

Frisk gave a smirk that made Sans immediately want to kill himself. He knew he was seriously dead if he took her back this way. He could see it now…

Pulling Frisk's drunken, sleepy body, all the way back home at two in the morning just to be visited by a very pissed Goat Mom, practically on fire with anger at the door.

He couldn't _imagine_ answering why he let her innocent, precious little daughter get drunk...much less explain why they were coming back past ten like she told her every night. And then, he could see it even clearer; Toriel setting him on fire and hiding his body somewhere…

 _Woah, that got pretty dark, there…_ Sans thought to himself, and then realized _That's how dark it's_ _gonna get_ _if you let this happen_.

"FRISK! You _have_ to stop! Toriel is gonna kill me if-!" Sans exploded and realized that the girl was no longer there.

"Frisk?" He searched the crowd around the alcohol and found her nowhere.

After some searching, Sans finally found the small girl in her blue and pink jacket, whipping her brown hair around as she danced with her friends Undyne and Alphys.

"Sans!" She called, cheering as she spotted him from afar.

Sans had no choice but to walk their way.

"I've been looking for y-"

"You have?!" Frisk cheered happily.

"Y-yeah...please tell me you aren't drunk...Tori will kill me…." Sans examined her. She did seem sorta tipsy, but not really drunk. He gave a sigh of relief for a moment.

"Dance with me~!" Frisk smiled at him, holding out her hands.

"Frisk I'm not gonna-"

Frisk took his hands out of his pockets and immediately started spinning around together. It was more akin to child's play than dancing.

Sans could tell just from the way Frisk acted around him that she was fond of him, and for a moment, earlier, he felt a bit of fondness for her in the romantic way, too. But he knew that it couldn't happen, and it never should. Their relationship would require too many precautions and Sans already had enough precautions stacked up in his life because of his secrets.

 _But maybe…_ He thought, _maybe I should let her have me for awhile, and then she can see why she wouldn't really want me as her boyfriend._ He decided that this might be the only way to truly keep her safe, even if it resulted in breaking her heart. At least she would be stronger because of it, and then they could go back to being friends. Right?

 _Or is this my excuse to date her_? He wasn't really sure of himself, but he went with the plan anyways. It was all he had to go with.

In the midst of their spinning delight, Sans pulled Frisk toward him and brought her into another embrace.

"Be careful, kiddo…" He steadied her because she was so dizzy from the spin.

"I wouldn't want to let you fall."

* * *

 **ERMAGERD quick update:**

 **I meant to say this and a kind commenter brought it up :) ...its in the reviews but here it is:**

 **"** I _REALLY hope it does not appear as me condoning getting drunk xD I tried to make sure to use words that referenced Frisk being innocent and unrealistic about being drunk because she is a young adult and I think all young adults romanticize or overdo the whole drinking thing. I just kinda wanted to touch on the fact that Frisk is still young. I do NOT condone getting seriously drunk, as I have personally had family issues with alcoholism and I think addiction (and honestly getting drunk in general) is not a light subject, although I AM only 18 lol, so I am not an expert on the subject haha. But I do know plenty of kids my age who party etc. as usual in high school as a senior, and I honestly don't take part in it because I am nerdy and have no life. (Seriously. Never been to a party. Not once. My friends are all awesome and are nerdy like me hehe.)_ **"**

 **Don't do drugs m'kay kids? Or drinking...a lot... or something.**

 **I mean...do it if you wanna...but pls don't overdo it...or...**

 **._. imma shut up now.**


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note:_ **Hey, I hope you liked the last chapter! So this chapter is a (late, late, late) celebratory Valentine's Day chapter! So it is meant to be cute, silly, and funny (just b4 shit hits the fan jk lol not jk i mean jk i mean not jk).**

 **So happy (late, late, late) Valentine's Day!**

 **Just an FYI you know you have no life when you spend your Valentine's day writing Undertale fanfic. (wake me up inside) Enjoy!**

- _cw_

* * *

 **Chapter 6:** **Happy Valentine's Day!**

The next morning, Sans helped Frisk sneak back to her room without getting caught by Toriel and they giggled all through the night, messing around and having fun. By daylight, Toriel gave her a good scold about not being there by ten, but Frisk told her she got home just a little bit later as a lie.

Frisk had something else prepared for Sans and she was so excited with how last night had gone. Sans called himself her boyfriend and that made Frisk giddy. He had always laden himself with excuses about how their dates were all part of a deal and so on. But now, he was acknowledging her feelings for him.

In the day, Frisk walked her way to Snowdin and knocked on the Skele-family door.

Papyrus answered, looking a bit worn. He must have been up partying late, as well.

"Oh, hello human."

"Hey Papyrus, will you give this to Sans?" Frisk smiled so innocently and handed him a card.

"Sure...I'm sure he's somewhere taking another extended nap…" He grumbled angrily.

"You mean _sleeping?_ "

"Yeah, sure…so what is _this_ , human?" Papyrus asked nosily.

Frisk blushed a bit. She supposed a Monster might not understand. But would a skeleton, specifically, know?

"It's for Valentine's Day."

Papyrus was confused, so that gave Frisk the answer to her question.

"It's a human holiday." Frisk gave a giggle, not wanting to explain much else.

Papyrus made a strange face at her at first and then went on being his blithe self;

"Wowie! A _human_ tradition!" he cheered.

It took him a moment until he looked a tad disappointed. "But why have you not allowed _I, the Great Papyrus_ to take part in this holiday, human?!"

Frisk recognized the error of her ways now. She shouldn't have told him.

"Oh. Um…" she thought for a moment of what excuse she could come up with.

Papyrus stood, waiting, quite awkwardly.

"Well, you see…" Frisk gave in, giving a disconsolate huff. "The holiday is for...people who are dating." Frisk didn't want to assume she and Sans were _really_ a 'boyfriend/girlfriend' thing just because he said it _once_ last night. Plus it was already awkward in itself because she was talking to his brother, whom was also her friend, and also had dated her once. Despite the fact that that date wasn't really serious...because _nothing_ Papyrus ever did turned out serious.

Except for that time when he let Flowey bait everyone to their death. That was serious. Yeah.

"Oh, _I see_ …" Papyrus gave a practically evil, snickering grin as his eyes pinned in on the tiny human.

Frisk didn't know how to react, so she decided it was best to walk away.

"You better give it to him!" Frisk yelled as she walked away.

"I will, human! I promise! But only because I _ship it_!" Papyrus squealed, making Frisk laugh from afar.

Back from her snowy trip to her big home in the capital, Frisk took a much needed nap until Toriel woke her up.

"You have a friend at the door, my child." she smiled in the groggy girl's face.

Frisk gave a discreet nod and got up to see just who it was at the door. It was Papyrus.

"HUMAN!" He practically yelled, waking Frisk up instantly.

Papyrus was holding a humongous plate of spaghetti.

"Geez, Papyrus...what the...I _just woke up_ …" She grumbled in an anger that was uncharacteristic of herself because she was so startled.

"Human, you must retain your own personality despite the fact that you are now around my brother so much. _Please_ do not be a lazybones like him!" He huffed at Frisk's snappiness and tired face.

"Right, sorry...It's just that I was awake for that party for so lon-"

"I BROUGHT YOU THIS SPAGHETTI AS A VALENTINE'S PRESENT!" He shouted immediately, making her headache even worse.

"Papyrus...um...didn't you tell me you didn't know what it was?" Frisk sort of giggled, rubbing her eyes to examine if Papyrus was in his right mind.

"Yes, human, but I _googled_ it after you told me! And I found it to _also_ be an appropriate custom to give your _friends_ gifts on such day!" Papyrus declared, smiling heroically.

Frisk decided to go with it and gave her signature sweet smile; "Right, well that's so nice of you, Papy." she gave him a small hug and took the plate, placing it in the kitchen.

"So um...did you give him the letter?" Frisk asked, changing the subject to her _own_ interests.

"What?"

"Sans." Frisk bit her lip, nervously. "Did you give him it?"

"Oh, yes."

"What'd he say?" She wanted to know more.

"Nothing. I put it in his room, he'll get it when he gets home."

"What?! Well when will he get home?"

"I don't know! He's all over the place all the time."

"Well then when does he _normally_ get back?"

"There is no normal time! He just appears at random!"

"What?!"

"HUMAN you are getting _quite_ obsessive about this." Papyrus pinned his eyes on her suspiciously.

"It's a big deal, okay!" Frisk blushed, somehow sounding angry.

Frisk momentarily thought about Sans' mailbox.

"HE'LL NEVER GET THAT LETTER!" Frisk yelled, falling to her knees in defeat.

"HUMAN! CALM DOWN!"

"Damnit Papyrus, I'm gonna give him the letter myself. I _will_ find him!" Frisk swore, as if to swear revenge on an enemy.

"Human! That is some saucy language! Surely he will read the note!"

" _Papyrus_ he will _never_ read that. Don't even lie. He's too lazy!"

"Surely he will read it since it is from you."

"Papyrus have you _seen_ his mailbox?!"

"Oh. Yes." Papyrus paused for a moment. "I keep telling him to go through it…"

"GAHHH!" Frisk grabbed her blue and pink-striped jacket and threw on her leather boots.

Throwing her hood over her head, she began to run. "He's gonna get that letter if it's the last thing I do!"

Papyrus stood, watching the human run to his home when Toriel came to the door.

"Is everything alright?"

"Hm? Oh yes, the human is just freaking out about nothing."

Frisk ran like an absolutely insane person all the way into Snowdin. She ran to Sans' mailbox where she _knew_ Papyrus probably put it, thinking it would make him go through his mail. Which he _wouldn't_. She opened the mailbox and began searching madly as the piles of mail came flowing out of it. "I'M GONNA FIND THIS, DAMNIT!" Frisk swore.

The idea of giving the letter she worked _so hard_ on to Sans filled her with **determination**.

She searched crazily through the white abyss of letters and paper. People in Snowdin passed by not even caring, because this was one of the lesser evils of the strangeness that happened around the Skelefamily house. "DAMN YOU PAPYRUS I KNEW YOU'D TRY TO MAKE THIS A DIFFICULT PUZZLE OR SOMETHING!" She screeched.

"uh. what are you doing?"

"Trying to find this _freaking_ letter!" Frisk mindlessly hissed.

"well then why are you going through _my_ mail?"

Frisk slowly turned around and realized it was none other than Sans. Standing there looking at the human as if she were completely insane. Which she was.

The human sat in a pile of unopened letters, jacket hood up, hair in a crazy mess because she hadn't done anything to it after napping. A twitch remaining in her eye from pure anger at not being able to find one single letter in a sea of them.

"I'm not crazy, I swear."

Sans just stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. Frisk had never seen such a display of laughter from Sans before.

"S-sorry, kiddo...it's just…" He laughed on, not able to form sentences.

"What the heck are you looking for?" He grinned, finally able to calm down enough.

"A-a…." Frisk blushed. She didn't want to tell him. She felt like a failure. Just as she was about to give in, Papyrus appeared.

"Human! Why are you going through Sans' _mail_?" He made a strange face.

"What?! You told me you put it here!" Frisk roared, feeling ganged up on, now.

"Human! I said no such thing...I simply thought you were referencing Sans' inability to complete chores meaning he was too lazy to read your note!" Papyrus squealed sounding defensive.

"Then where'd you put the letter?!"

"In his _room_ , Frisk!" Papyrus swore up and down.

"Oh."

"Sorry...what are we talking about here?" Sans looked most confused of all.

"Frisk was wishing to give you a letter as a human custom. But she was scared you wouldn't ever get to it because you never read your mail. So she was looking for your letter to give it to you but she didn't seem to know I put it in your room, not the mailbox." Papyrus blurted all in one big bunch of sentences.

"And you didn't tell her you put it in my room?" Sans made a face at Papyrus.

"Well...I didn't think of it okay!" Papyrus blushed from anger.

"Well I guess you could say…That was pretty MAILevolent of you, Papyrus."

"SAAAAANSSS!"

"...I mean, just look at her...I think you made Frisk... _go postal_."

"SAANS NO!"

"Ah, c'mon Papy why didn't ya just _letter_ give the letter to me?"

"I AM SO DONE, SANS!" Papyrus screeched.

Sans' face blushed bright blue the next day when he saw Frisk. After the whole ordeal, Frisk promised to go through Sans' mail for him even though Sans told her it was okay, and then she went home.

Since then, Sans read her letter and Frisk didn't know how he'd react. Especially after the added drama of the mailbox. (Which was now, by the way, cleaner than it had been in 20 years, according to Papyrus)

But now Frisk got to see.

Sans was blushing and Frisk rarely got to see that. She loved his reaction.

"Hey, kid...that note...was pretty cute." He admitted to her, standing lazily in his jacket and slippers. "I just still don't understand why you're so obsessed with _me_." He scoffed a little, looking off to the side.

Frisk gave a tiny smile. "Because…" She simply shrugged, giving no other answer.

"Ah c'mon. I think I'm due for a little more of an answer than that. All those things you say about me...they're all attributes you could find in Papyrus, or any other guy…plus they wouldn't be as lazy as me."

Frisk gave a sigh; "I'll only tell you if you continue to go on dates with me."

"Alright, fine. Tell me on our next date."

Frisk gave a victorious squeal and gave her skeleton boyfriend a cuddly hug.

No matter how much mail she had to go through, it was worth it.

* * *

 **Hey so I hope you enjoyed! I should update sometime near the end of this week or the weekend (if you care :D). Also, I totally made up those puns on my own. Yep.** **I am really cringey. (I think you get these weird pun powers once you become UnderTrash like me lol)**

 **If you didn't understand them...(bc they're bad) MAILevolent = malevolent (bad), "go postal" = slang for to go crazy, and _letter_ = sounds like "let her".**

 **So yeah- SPOILER(ish): the story is about to get serious, kinda sad. By that I mean not just lovey-dovey cutesy dating. I mean it's still ABOUT Frisk x Sans but there is going to be a deeper story behind it.**

 **ALSO, after some random pondering- I've decided these author notes have _gotta_ chill out, because imo it's most likely obnoxious that I have one basically every chapter, so now I am going to have one or two for every update (not chapter) and I am hoping to have larger updates (more chapters per update) so I can write several chapters and be able to mull them over instead of just posting them a day or hour after they get done.**

 **See you soon! (REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT THAT OTHER FANFIC BY KAIISA _A curious human called frisk_**


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note:_ **So you ever have writer's block?... You ever have writer's block for like... _weeks?!_ Because I did. Oh my God, you guys probably thought I'd abandoned this but that isn't true at ALL. So basically in the time I've had (which is like...3 or 4 weeks now? geez...) I have planned out the entirety of this novel/fanfic and I am SUUUPER excited because I have planned it into the kind of story I love which involves...well you'll see ;)**

 **So _other_ than my sporadic writers block with me randomly writing little bits and pieces...the main reasons for my long time to update have been Senior year stuff. Basically on top of the usual testing and exam-cramming from my teachers just before Spring Break...I've had lots of college planning stuff and my Prom, which happened to be the day my precious cat decided to finally pass away (she's old and been sick for a while). But I know despite all this crazy stuff, I shouldn't have excuses and I hope you guys are looking forward to my story because I am looking forward to writing more. I've got two fairly big chapters for ya here (bc my chapters are usually so short for some reason), so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Hopefully my stress wasn't channeled into depression in this chapter or something...haha.**

- _cw_

* * *

 **Chapter 7:** **love**

Frisk was obsessed with Sans. Maybe not in the yandere way, but she called him almost everyday, and thought about him often. They hung out all the time, and Sans didn't seem to mind her obsession. He didn't do much, anyways, so it was nice to spend time with Frisk. Sans was hoping, through all of this dating and opening up to her, that it'd somehow chase her away. He loved her, so he didn't want her to know about him the way that lovers usually truly knew each other. It was a strange paradox where loving her really meant keeping her away from him, but he couldn't keep her away _himself_ because he knew it would only determine her more to love him. He needed _Frisk_ to be the one to lose interest, but through it all, she didn't. Ever.

Sans was getting frustrated.

The more he dated her, the more he wanted to love her. And the more he wanted her to stay away from him.

"It's complicated, kiddo." He explained, one day.

"I just don't want you to start learning things you never wanted to know about me. Once you do, I won't ever be the same to you." He shrugged, trying to get the message across for the millionth time.

She never got it. It was always her usual happy, go-lucky babbling response where she told him she wouldn't stop. But this time now...it worried Sans. He wasn't sure he was ready for it. It hit him like a truck. Instead of she " _wouldn't_ "...

"I couldn't! I can't! There's no way I can just go on being friends with you. I'll always wanna be more than that...I…" Frisk blushed, looking furious now. She was sick of the same speech over and over. Every time they would date and she would feel the same feelings from him- she could swear he loved her the way she loved him, but then he would always give her these speeches about how loving her is _wrong_ for him, and she would feel like a fool. She felt like an idiot when he told her those things. Like someone who fell right into a fake love trap. But she always _swore_ it was real.

" _Am I an idiot?!_ " Frisk shouted without control over herself. She was crying now and she didn't even expect it from herself.

If Sans had any blood, he'd feel it drain from his face.

"You aren't an idiot, Frisk." He shook his head.

"Th-then why do _I love you_ if you _don't_ love me?!" She blurted once more. She didn't mean to say it...but it just came out. She couldn't take holding it in anymore.

Sans was flailing inside. He wanted so badly, more than anything, to tell her that she was wrong. He wanted to shut her up and tell her he _did_ love her and that he never stopped thinking about her. That he always thought about that card she wrote to him and that nobody had ever cared about him like that in a long time. That she had taught him something he never thought he'd feel when the barrier had been broken and he _didn't_ really want to go to the surface…

But he also knew, that if he _really_ loved her, the way he did, that he should tell her that he didn't and that she was being foolish to pursue a skeleton.

So he did that. And he felt his heart shatter as he did it;

"B-because- it's not true...I love ya, kiddo..."

 _Leave it there_.

"but...Only as your best friend. I want you to be happy…"

 _With me._

"But I don't think you'll ever have that with someone like me."

 _Even though we already have happiness together?_

"Besides, you belong with…"

 _Me._

"A human. Being with a... _monster_ …is...I don't think…" Sans didn't know how to put it. It wasn't genuine from him.

But he couldn't be selfish. How could he take her? That would be irresponsible. All that work for a happy ending…just to ruin it with the selfishness of his heart would be evil.

He looked up at the innocent little Frisk, tears pouring down her red face.

She was embarrassed, and belittled, and let down, and heartbroken.

He'd never seen her like that. And it pained him to know he was the source of all this angst and pain.

"Frisk, don't cry, please…" Sans reached out for her, but she covered her face with the sleeves of her striped sweater in embarrassment. She didn't want to be seen this way, so she ran home and went straight to her room, passing by Toriel and Asgore.

She slammed onto her bed and wretched in tears.

Toriel eventually decided to go into her room.

"Frisk, my dearest, what is wrong…?" Toriel sat on her bed politely and patted her back.

"S-sans...d-doesn't love...m-me…" Frisk cried into her pillow, unable to breathe very well.

"What? And what gave you that idea?"

Toriel was sure Sans loved Frisk. She saw it in his smile, every time they went on dates.

"H- _he_ told me! He only l-loves me as a _f-friend_!" Frisk sniffled, still struggling to get out sentences due to shortness of breath from her crying.

"What?! I will murder that little cheating…" Toriel began to mumble angrily. Who would use her perfect daughter like that?

"Mom...no…" Frisk shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Toriel calmed down and set her focus on the wrecked girl before her.

"Frisk...I know you liked him…" Toriel patted her, trying to comfort what couldn't be comforted.

"I _love_ him." Frisk blushed, hiding her face under a pillow once more. "Now I look like- no I _am_ \- a complete idiot!" Her muffled voice wailed.

"Oh dear…" Toriel seemed flustered. She had let her daughter fall hard for someone she knew she couldn't have in the first place. Toriel had encouraged her all the way through...but _inside_ she knew that Frisk wouldn't ever be able to make it work with a _monster_. But she thought, that maybe with someone as close to her as Sans... "I'm sorry, my child." She rubbed her back soothingly.

Toriel soothed her for a moment or two until she decided it would be best to leave Frisk alone to let her mull it all over.

When Toriel left, things only got worse.

Frisk started thinking crazy things.

"I _know he has to love me_. He even _said_ he loved me..." Frisk tortured herself with the thoughts of _what ifs_ and _hows_.

She couldn't get her mind off of him.

No matter how she tossed and turned, she could not even bare to close her eyes. She didn't want to wake up the next morning with no hope.

She didn't want to have the feeling of waking up after a nice dream and recognizing that she had lost something dear to her heart. There was nothing worse than that feeling. And she'd known it well, before she came to Mt. Ebott.

Frisk looked at the time as she tossed and turned and noticed it was late.

 _12:25_

Frisk groaned. She just couldn't bring herself to sleep.

So she got up, put some warm clothes on, and left out her bedroom window secretly.

 _What am I doing?_

She tiptoed out of the window and shut it behind her. Wrapping the scarf around her neck, she placed her hands in her pockets to keep them warm once she passed through Snowdin which was extremely cold at night.

 _Why am I doing this?_

Eventually, she arrived at the Skelebro's door.

 _Do I even know what I'm gonna do?!_

And climbed in the window she knew was always open.

She walked past Papyrus' room, and knocked hard on Sans' door. She knocked two times, because she knew that was what it would take to really even remotely awake the lazybones.

She heard him shuffle to the door and peek through the door.

" _Frisk?_ " He mumbled, sounding worried for his own mental sanity.

That is, until he realized it really _was_ Frisk. Now he seemed worried for _her_ mental sanity.

"Sans." Frisk practically cried.

"Frisk...it's 12 at night…"

"But I can't sleep!"

"Frisk...you have to learn to get over things...it shouldn't be that big a deal." He blushed, pushing her away verbally, as always.

"I can't sleep! I love you! I can't get over _that_. You're my first love…" Frisk mewled like a baby kitten. She sounded so innocent.

This was all confusing for her.

Sans saw her sad puppy eyes and his heart ached, but he had to stick to his guns.

"F-Frisk...I love you, but...not romantically." He blushed even more. "You have to deal with that."

Sans couldn't even understand _himself_ anymore. He couldn't believe it but...he felt close to _tears_. Sans' feelings were mixed between his normal feelings towards the human and feelings he'd only recently gotten for her. He didn't want to crush the innocent, loving Frisk he knew- that was a normal feeling he'd had since they were friends. But, somewhere deep inside, he also didn't want to crush her because he felt romantic feelings he didn't think he'd ever have. Especially for a girl who literally fell out of nowhere and saved everybody.

Frisk sniffled.

"Frisk...I'm sorry. I never should have done this. I just didn't think you'd ever take it so serious…" Sans didn't know what to say to comfort her. No matter what he said, all he could see was the disappointment in her face. She thought herself a failure. And that hurt him most.

And then, Frisk exploded.

"WHY DO YOU KEEP PEOPLE OUT?!" She shouted, no control over herself anymore.

Sans stood there, pale, not sure what to say. He knew why. Most people would deny they kept people out, or keep people out because of abandonment issues…

But Sans kept people out _on_ _purpose_. He had reason, but not the kind of reason that made him that way emotionally. The kind of reason that pained him because he knew if he _didn't_ keep people out, he might hurt them and others _more_ than it hurt for _him_.

"I…" Sans still didn't know what to say. Frisk had never seen him so speechless, but she didn't have time to ponder it. She was so busy with her own blind fury and tears.

"I love you, too, Frisk. Can't you understand, nerd?" Sans blushed. "But I'm not supposed to. If I do...then...I'd have to come clean with you. And that'd only make things worse. It wasn't supposed to come to _this_...me disappointing you…"

Frisk only seemed angrier, though slightly relieved that he said he loved her. "Sans what could it possibly be that you think I'd-?!"

" _I_ _know_ _that you can reset time._ " Sans blurted and interrupted abruptly, causing an awkward silence that surprised Frisk.

"Wha-?"

" _With your_ _ **determination**_ _._ "

Frisk went red with confused anger. She didn't know what to say or how to react. All the emotions she'd prepared for in this conversation had nothing to do with _this_. She wasn't prepared.

What did this have to do with anything?

"Stop _avoiding_ the real subject! _Why won't you be with me?_ " Frisk screeched with fury, using a voice level she rarely ever used before as such a quiet girl.

"Because you don't need to be!"

"But _why_?!"

"Sometimes things at face value aren't _just_ what you think they are, Frisk!" Sans yelled uncharacteristically.

Frisk was, admittedly, surprised by his unexpected rage.

"Well how am I supposed to know that when you _never tell me anything_?!" She shouted, losing all civility.

"You think you can _save everybody_ but you can't, Frisk! Sometimes things _suck_ , and that's just how it is! No matter how sweet, innocent, and adorable your positive point of view is." Sans went on being vague, as no surprise to Frisk.

"I _TRIED_ GOING BACK! I _TRIED_ SAVING THINGS THE WAY YOU DID! EVEN WITH DETERMINATION LIKE YOURS- NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE SAVED!" Sans shouted louder than Frisk had ever heard, and despite her primal rage, she was _scared_. Sans saw this and tried to calm himself, but now he felt he had her full attention.

"That's why our relationship can never work. No matter what- people like you and I- we're always gonna try to save things. But sometimes it can't be saved; and then in trying to save everything, we end up with _nothing_." Sans broke down.

"We'll- _I'll -_ hurt people around me."

Frisk returned to her speechlessness.

How could she respond to it?

By any stretch, Sans had made a valid argument that couldn't be denied. All it could be denied by was Frisk's determination and her love.

"But….Sans….you've always been there for me. What makes you think I _won't_ if you let me know about your past?" Frisk sighed.

Everything around them seemed to blur for Frisk and time itself stopped in her head as Sans spoke;

"You don't know me."

He choked.

Frisk wanted to shout; _that's not true_ and _you're still the same skeleton no matter your past_. But she thought about it and felt sick. What if she _didn't_ know him? It really _was_ possible that he was always someone different. His past could still make him someone else- especially someone different from the frail personality he showed off to others. And beyond that- thoughts and questions began to rush through Frisk's overloaded mind. She set her emotions aside for a moment and realized the reality of everything.

 _How did he deduct I could travel time? How did he have such an...affinity...for time and space? What did he know that made him want to keep himself from her and everyone he knew? Was it really everyone? No it couldn't be everyone…_

Alphys warned her of this….

If Alphys knew…

Then….

" _Who was the last Royal Scientist?_ Before Alphys." Frisk asserted, still feeling dizzy from a rush of thought that came by once she put her feelings aside.

" _What_?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Alphys _knew_ there was something that would keep you from being close with anyone! There has to be a connection…" Frisk hissed. "Were _you_ the Royal Scientist?"

Sans stood still for a moment; strangely unmoving. He shook his head solemnly.

He had failed.

Frisk had gone specifically where he didn't want her to.

Was there any salvaging what would be left now that she pieced it together? He wondered.

"My... _father_ was." He spoke slowly, as if he had lost his voice.

"What happened to him?" Frisk pulled for more- she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. She just had to get there. She was finally peeling off the layers-

"He's...gone."

"Sans I lost my parents, too. It's okay." Frisk encouraged solemnly.

Sans reacted strangely. Frisk wasn't sure if it was because they weren't on good terms right now, or if it was something about his father.

He didn't seem quite _mournful_. Yet there _was_ a sense of solidarity about the matter.

"Frisk...I should show you something…" Sans seemed to give in, looking as if there was no hope left for the world. Sans went into his room and came back out. Whatever he had was in his pockets with his hands.

Frisk slowly, awkwardly followed Sans and thought through what had all happened today. Her mind ached at the thought of all that had changed today. She wasn't sure she could bare it any more than she would have bared her simple 'break up' this morning, alone.

Frisk had no idea where Sans was leading her. To be honest, she felt a bit scared. This was no longer the Sans she thought she knew. Now she understood his secrecy to an extent. She found herself behind the Skelefamily house where a door covered in snow was to a bunker. Sans cleared the snow and used a key in his pocket to unlock it. Now Frisk was _really_ scared.

Sans shuffled slowly down into the bunker and lit up a light that made the room visible, rather than a dark abyss. Frisk stepped inside with him and noticed a machine covered in sheets which Sans uncovered for her.

"I tried going back…"

"... _saving_ things…"

He faced away from her and only faced the machine with shame.

"But I couldn't go _back_ …"

"And it was so long ago anyways...by then, I was used to how things were, ya know?" He gave a small laugh and a grin.

"Sorta like you…" He turned to Frisk.

Frisk blushed. "I wouldn't ever get used to my father being _dead_ if I thought I could _save_ him." She shook her head, almost feeling disgusted at the comparison.

"Nah, that's not exactly what I mean, kiddo…" Sans shook his head back and turned back to the machine, giving another huff of respite, he covered the dusty thing back up.

Frisk could see now why he kept himself away.

It wasn't because he _had_ to, like he told her.

That was something he said to comfort himself.

No- it wasn't even that.

He was broken.

Perhaps she didn't know his full past, but whatever it was with his father- it broke him. To the point of no return. He wouldn't ever date her. And worse than that- Frisk concluded that it wasn't only _her._ Sans must have been keeping all sorts of people out of his life.

"Does Papyrus know about any of this?"

Sans turned and _shrugged_. "Bits...pieces…"

If _Papyrus_...his close brother that he protected so much...didn't even know the troubles that Sans went through…

She couldn't help it anymore...all of the sudden

Knowing she could change time and Sans couldn't…

That she could _save Sans_ …

It filled her with **determination**.

Frisk rushed home, tired and soaked in snowy stains on her jacket and clothing. She had to devise a plan. All sorts of things rushed through her head.

"Maybe I could get Alphys to fix the machine…"

 _No._ She thought. _I can't get other people involved._

Frisk stomped through the snow, arms crossed from the cold until she finally arrived back to the outer reaches of the capital where her parent's quaint home sat. The dewey grass froze cold and her father's garden appeared to be wilting from the seasons. Frisk gave a sigh when she realized it'd been a week or so since she last checked on her own little garden that Asgore let her have in the backyard. She opened up the wooden gate and walked with a watercan to take a look at her patch of flowers. She decided not to water them too much when she saw that the dew had reached them and she wondered if the flowers would survive the cold. The pink wildflowers and blue azaleas mixed with the forget-me-nots among the one, grouchy flower in the middle that detested where it was.

"Oh _there_ you are!" Flowey grumbled angrily in his high-pitched voice.

Frisk groaned at the next angry speech she was about to get.

"Flowey- NOT TONIGHT!" She screamed, actually _scaring_ Flowey a bit.

"Geez, kid, what happened ta you?" He raised an eyebrow alongside his yellow petals. "Don't tell me; that sack-a-bones did it, didn't he?" Flowey looked as if he reveled in her pain.

Frisk didn't respond, but Flowey could tell, even as she filled the water can with water.

"Whelp- that's just _hilarious_!" Flowey squealed with laughter. "Looks like the _comic_ made a _joke of_ _you_ _!_ " he cackled evilly.

Then- _SPLOOSH!_ Frisk flung the water in his face.

The flower gave a couple coughs. "HEY!" he grumbled.

" _Whoops_." Frisk hissed, piercing Flowey with her angry eyes.

"Ya don't have to take it out on _me,_ kid!" Flowey pouted devilishly.

Frisk rolled her eyes at the pathetic attempt to sound innocent. "It wasn't _his fault_. He just has problems of his own that prevent him from opening up to people."

Flowey gave another cackle and rolled his eyes back at her. "Oh, _that_ excuse?! Geez, kid, didn't know you lived in a _chick-flick_ movie~!" he huffed with laughter.

"Flowey. Just shut up. I have things I need to fix." Frisk said, being monotone as ever.

Suddenly Flowey lit up. "Well if he's got problems in his past.. _you_ know how you can fix _that_." he smirked devilishly.

Frisk gave a solemn sigh, placing down her watercan after she finished caring for the flowers. He was right. That _was_ a solution. But it wasn't the ideal one.

Resetting everything…

it would get rid of _this_ Sans…

And all her friends and family, too...

"But what if I can't make it reset far enough?" Frisk turned slowly to the evil little flower.

Flowey swayed back-and-forth in a goofy way. "Weeell...I could help ya change to the _exact_ moment ya need, remember?"

"Oh, yeah…" Frisk forgot he had told her this. Though, she was unsure whether he was telling the truth. But what choice did she have? She _had_ to solve Sans' problems. She didn't know if she could continue to be in a world where she knew he was in pain and didn't open up to anyone else. Or a world where she loved him, but he wouldn't love back because he was scared.

"Okay, Flowey. I'm gonna reset it."

"Y-you are?" Flowey seemed surprised. "Well hey, kid do me a favor and put me in that pot inside the house before you erase the world just to bone some skeleton, would ya?" Flowey jabbed, half-begging.

Frisk blushed angrily at this and denied it; "That's not the reason I'm doing it! Why do you gotta make it sound so weird?"

The little Flower wiggled and cackled.

"Just help me reset, would you?" Frisk huffed, feeling done with everything.

"Fine!"

Sans inched towards his room and back to his bed. He couldn't stop contemplating Frisk and her confessions to him.

What would she do now?

He thought she might bother him for a while about dating some more, or maybe she'd not talk to him for a week or two. But, no. Sans could tell this was worse. The look on Frisk's face...she was devastated. From that alone, Sans could tell that she really did love him.

He didn't ever really understand it…why did she love _him_ of all people and monsters?

And he didn't know why...but he couldn't help but to keep returning the feeling that he tried so hard to keep inside.

Sans laid down on his bed and tossed and turned hopelessly, unable to sleep with his mind on Frisk.

From her face… He could tell;

He'd failed.

And Sans could tell she might be unstable, so he couldn't bother her any more. All he could do is hope.

"Okay Flowey, I'm ready." Frisk walked back out into the garden. She just said goodbye to her sleeping parents. She couldn't wake them up.

Something sad about the moment made Frisk feel as if she were about to take her life.

But she knew; her fate was destined to save Sans. She had to.

She had saved _everyone else_ , hadn't she?

"Geez kid, what took you so long?!" The little flower puffed in spite.

Frisk just moved on, knowing he had no control over his hate. He had no soul. It wasn't his fault he couldn't feel. That's why she'd kept him here…

In some false hope of being able to save Asriel.

Frisk hated her determination to save everyone she met. But at the same time, she knew her life wouldn't be the same without it.

"Okay Flowey, we need to go back to the time when you- _Asriel_ \- was a kid." She corrected herself. "I need to be around when the scientist before Alphys was alive. Got it?"

"'Course kiddo! My determination and yours can _easily_ get you back to a time _I_ knew! Ya said it yourself." Flowey winked joyfully.

"...You just have to do that thing you do when you restart except you have to be _extra determined_." He grinned.

Frisk gave a nod and took a seat. She leaned her head on the flower's golden petals. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out in a zen way. She thought about all that rested upon her.

 _I can do this_ she thought.

 _I can_ _save Sans_ _and I can return here. All i have to do is go back in time in_ _this dimension_ _._

Frisk filled herself with **determination**.

Suddenly the ground shook and the world around her seemed light and faded. The grass in the garden flickered like little lights each making up the fabric of the universe. She could feel time melting at her fingers, and the physical universe wavering at every touch.

Beneath her knees the ground emptied as the grass became translucent and time and space decayed from her touch. And then…

She felt…

Falling…

Falling…

Frisk felt nauseous. The falling was so fast and yet so slow. Everything and nothing whirled around her at the same time. The dizzyness was unbearable until eventually...darkness.

* * *

 **Trippy? I thought so. Have fun with the next chapter! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:** **Fallen**

 _Woosh…_

The air around her whirred like the wind of a fan.

 _Woosh…_

The air grew, faster...but it was no longer as before it was...physical…

 _WOOSH_

A gust of air flowed about, just before…

 _BADOOM_

The world blacked out again.

 _ **wake up...**_

Frisk awoke...softness clinging to her skin. It was a familiar softness she'd felt before. Except this time it clung _tighter_ to her.

 _ **open your eyes...**_

Frisk let her fingers brush about the soft surroundings.

She breathed in the sweet smell.

She opened her eyes and breathed in harshly.

Golden flowers surrounded her. The soft soil, cushioning her fall.

"I've...I'm…"

Frisk sat up, still wearing her striped pink and blue jacket atop her high-waisted shorts and over-the-knee gray socks.

"Maybe it's…" Frisk's heart rushed. She got up with such a rush that her heart fluttered from the sudden motion.

She ran down the once-familiar path that she knew lead to-

" _The Ruins?_ "

"Hey there!"

A little flower she'd just seen popped from the ground.

"I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!"

" _What_?!" Frisk hissed.

 _How is this possible? Flowey should be alive...he should be Asriel…_

 _Unless…_

" _ **LIAR!**_ "

 _ **hit him…**_

Frisk flung her fists like a heartless animal, wanting nothing more than to destroy his very being. He dodged easily and snuck away, looking surprised.

"You lied to me! I knew it! Why was I such an idiot?!" Frisk gasped, falling to her knees.

"I'm...this is…" She couldn't breathe. The very _idea_ of what was happening now…

"Poor child! Are you okay?" A kind voice spoke from behind.

 _ **Mom**_ _…_

"Come with me, my child…" Toriel beckoned gracefully in her white and periwinkle robes.

Frisk took her soft hand.

"I'm...not a child." Frisk twitched as Toriel lead her the way she knew her goat mom would.

"But you are still young, dear. And new to this place. You must be frightened!" She comforted lovingly. Yet, somehow they felt like poison to Frisk.

This world…

It felt _fake_ to her.

If she could reset time like this…

These people were…

…

Frisk flinched a little at the idea.

Nevertheless, Frisk felt the urgent need to get to Sans. If he couldn't be saved, maybe she could at least get his help to get back to _her_ dimension.

Or... _original_ dimension.

Toriel dragged her further and further through the ruins.

Frisk sighed, feeling impatient. Everything that got in her way just _angered_ her more. They were wasting precious time. Why did it even matter anymore. If everything could reset like this…

Isn't it just a _game_?

And weren't these people…

 _Disposable?_

Frisk felt a little irked. Until...a monster got in her way.

"A human!" It yelped, looking desperate to destroy her.

Frisk was impatient, at best. All she could think of was getting to Sans. And until she _saved_ everyone...this world thought of her as a joke. Why did she need them if they mutually wanted to _destroy_ her in a world she planned to reset again or leave anyways?

 **...** _ **get to Sans…**_

She knew she had to. She threw a full-hearted punch at the monster, reducing him to nothing but ash.

Frisk stood there.

Her eye twitched at the situation.

Did she really just do that?

Secretly inside, she didn't care. And somehow it made the situation worse…and she felt even more empty inside because of it.

Toriel stood nearby, face as pale as ice.

"My child! Y-you must understand you can _hurt_ these monsters if you aren't careful. They...they…" She looked frightened at the pile of ash that lay before the two, and she looked even more frightened as her face fixated upon the girl's emotionless face that stared at her fresh kill.

Something about her...as her LOVE leveled up…she felt a burst of joy and excitement inside her that was _invigorating._ It was like adrenaline.

Before...she might have been ashamed by the feeling.

But now...it empowered her to reach her destination. And she embraced it.

If she could get more LOVE...perhaps she could more easily reach her destination and have _more_ power to return where she needed to.

"M-my child, perhaps we should get to my home _quickly_ … Before we….run into any more problems." Toriel rushed, pulling her hand with a look of horror in her eyes that could not accept what she just saw.

The two walked further and further through the ruins. Toriel pulled her through the entirety of the way home because she'd been so horrified.

Soon they arrived to that quaint building in the ruins. The purple stone lined against the cavernous insides of the rocky ruins. When the two walked inside the home, chills ran up Frisk's spine.

She remembered when she had last been here.

Toriel opened the door and showed her to her room.

"This is your room…" She smiled kindly to Frisk the way she remembered her mom always did.

Frisk gave a simple nod and Toriel spoke again;

"I'll give you some time to settle in. Meanwhile...oh! I'll make us some pie!" She suddenly lit up.

Frisk turned to her bedroom that looked very much like the room she had in her home near the capital.

"In another dimension...in another time…" Frisk whispered to herself, sitting on the edge of the bed.

She pondered all she'd left behind and it made her crazy just thinking about it. Her mind seemed to wander back to Sans.

She laid back onto her bed and daydreamed about her dates with him, thinking back on the fun times. The fond thoughts hushed her mind, and soon all that she saw was blackened and all that she was left with was those thoughts of Sans. The memories lulled her to sleep and they turned to dreams of her and her friends. And like always, they always somehow returned to Sans. As if he were a separate entity of his own in Frisk's mind.

" _Ya don't have to be so careful, kiddo."_

 _She saw his face, practically glowing, like a god in her eyes._

 _It was one of their practice sessions together._

" _I just...I don't wanna hit you!"_

 _She spoke, nervous and shaking._

 _Was she nervous of hurting him? Or was she nervous around him because she didn't want him to know how she felt?_

 _She wasn't quite sure._

" _Hey- don't worry about it." Sans closened in near her, making it seem surreal._

 _Frisk wanted him to grab her hands or caress her face, but those things only wandered in her mind along with such thoughts of unicorns and flying pigs. Frisk stood, head hanging dejectedly from shame of not only her failure to throw a real hit, but also from shame of her unrealistic dreams._

" _It's okay, Frisk!" Sans practically laughed at the disappointment on her face, not sure how to reassure her. "Look- with me, kiddo, I can teach ya how to dodge stuff super fast. Then hitting won't matter if you can survive long enough to get a hit."_

 _Frisk looked back up and nodded, smiling as she stared back into his magical white pupils._

 _Then something happened that made Frisk remember this memory._

 _She felt Sans take her hands softly and slowly for what was supposed to be only a moment. But Frisk held back on with her own hands, making Sans smile with his eyes closed for just a moment. Frisk wanted to make it unignorable now- he might have dismissed it as a friendly thing with that smile but she wanted to make it more. She ran her fingers softly through the palms of his hands. She ran over the black voided circle on his palm…_

 _Sans blushed now and Frisk smiled because of it. "How do these work?" Frisk asked curiously._

" _Well...um…" He looked down slowly. "It's part of my soul...so it's kinda hard to explain."_

" _Your powers?" Frisk knew he had a couple of powers. They weren't anything special, but they were definitely more powerful than Papyrus'._

 _He simply gave a nod._

" _Now...um, let's practice. Kay, kiddo?" Sans pulled his hands away, quickly changing subjects and manner with the girl._

 _Then the memories flooded in of Frisk dodging every attack. That day...she got so good at dodging. And then…_

 _She remembered standing, pleased with herself after a round of perfect dodging._

" _Good job." Sans said, not sounding as pleased as_ _she_ _was with herself, which disappointed her._

" _W-what's wrong?"_

" _Ah nothing it's just that…"_

" _Hm?"_

 _She remembered that moment of silence where his eyes fixated on hers and she could swear she felt them soften._

" _You know I don't wanna hurt you as much as you don't wanna hit me, kiddo…"_

 _Sans trailed off in his sentence and Frisk blushed at his sweet manners that he rarely reached since he was always joking things off._

" _But I want you to_ _really_ _learn to defend yourself…" He sighed._

 _She remembered her utter confusion at what Sans seemed so tormented with._

" _This time...I'm not gonna be soft on you, okay?" He looked to her, serious as ever._

 _His eyes pleaded for her to try her best and Frisk was confused still._

 _She remembered realizing all that he'd been holding back…_

 _His powers…._

 _He was much more powerful than he ever let on._

 _It was as if she was fighting Omega Flowey again. She remembered the way Sans' powers flowed perfectly, each attack requiring her to be on point with what direction he went._

 _Frisk wondered…_

 _How did he know she would be okay?_

 _Was he willing to face consequences of what would happen if he hit her?_

 _Frisk remembered feeling hurt by this, like Sans was another monster she never knew. Frisk knew she would be okay and she could just restart a little further back if she died...but Sans didn't know that; so how was he okay with putting her in his own powerful, chaotic danger._

 _...or_ _did he_ _know?_

"GAH!" Frisk awoke, screaming and gasping for air. Her dream's final memory was so vivid. She hated the insight these dreams always gave to her.

She realized she was in a cold sweat, and her face was flushed.

She got up from the bed and went to the kitchen to get some water, when she realized she was not home. She was in _Toriel_ 's home. Or the Toriel she didn't know as her mom.

Frisk remembered her mistakes and felt the urge to cry, but a strange thing happened.

Not a single tear welled up. That sadness all immediately turned to anger.

"I have to spend some time planning what I'm gonna do…"

She decided.

"My child?" Toriel walked in. "You are awake quite early. You slept for quite a while, though. So I suppose it only makes sense." She smiled so genuinely to her. Frisk had forgotten how loving and open her goat mom was, even _before_ she had really known her.

Frisk just gave a nod to her.

"You are certainly the quiet one." She giggled heartily and gave a sweet grin, pinching one of Frisk's cheeks.

"I made us some pie, but since it is morning I think we should have a proper breakfast." She suddenly got to work on breakfast and Frisk just walked over to a table, sitting.

Once breakfast was made, Toriel made her a plate and they ate quietly together in a way similar to Frisk's world.

Toriel read some stories and ate slowly while Frisk shoveled food down.

Toriel giggled when Frisk realized she was _writing somethig down_.

"What are you writing?" Frisk spoke quickly and softly in a suspicious manner that Toriel paid no mind to.

"Oh? N-nothing…" She grinned, trying to hold back her laugh. But when she realized the girl was talking to her, she had to take the opportunity to get her to open up.

"Well um...you know, I am quite a bit bored here- living on my own most of the time." Toriel began explaining. "B-but...sometimes through the door to the ruins from the Underground...I get visitors and…"

Toriel finally broke into a hearty laugh. "Well I must confess- I write stupid puns because I have a friend who visits me often through the door and we tell them to each other. It's sort of one of my hobbies." She smiled at the girl.

Frisk's eyes cut right to Toriel. Her flushed face now became an angry, yet somehow envious and flustered red.

"Is something wrong?" Toriel seemed confused by this stare.

Frisk had forgotten…

"N-no…" She stuttered bashfully. "It's just..that I like puns, too."

Toriel's face turned excited. "Really?! Oh I am so glad! We will have so much fun here…" She hummed happily.

"Can I meet the boy through the door, too?" Frisk asked quicker than ever. She had trouble controlling herself. She jumped too fast.

"Oh, um...I don't see why not. Eheh!" Toriel tried to laugh off the weirdness of the girl's determined and sudden requests. She was a little confused as well.

"What's...wrong…?" Frisk asked, blushing, scared that she messed something up from jumping the gun too fast.

"Nothing it's just...I'm not sure I remember mentioning it was a boy… How did you know?" She raised an eyebrow at the fact.

"Oh? Um. You said 'he'." Frisk lied, blushing even more. She just wanted to see him so badly. She couldn't seem to hold herself together.

Toriel simply nodded and they continued breakfast in a brief silence.

"So...what was your life like on the surface?" Toriel asked, breaking the silence.

Frisk's heart sunk. She hadn't thought about that in so long. This Toriel… She had no idea how long ago that was for her. And how she'd put that all behind her since Toriel and Asgore adopted her. But this wasn't _that_ Toriel.

"Um...well...it doesn't matter." Frisk huffed, returning to her meal.

"Oh, my. I do suppose people come to Mount Ebbott for...sad reasons...I adopted a child of my own that I think-"

 _ **Give her hell.**_

"Shutup!" Frisk yelled and stood. She ran off back to her bedroom and slammed onto the bed. She thought to herself about what had just taken place.

"Why did I yell…?" Frisk wondered aloud. But taking time to think only seemed to make it all worse.

She got crazier and angrier.

"I just wanna find Sans…"

A knock came to her door.

"My child? I am sorry I said such things. That was not wise of me. I simply wanted to comfort you, but perhaps you are not ready for that." She spoke softly through the door, apologizing.

Frisk lay still, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Perhaps _instead_ you should go to the door to the underground with me so we can talk to my friend…" Toriel offered, trying her best to brighten the child's day.

Frisk sat up immediately.

"Okay, I'm coming." She rushed. Even Toriel was surprised at the immediate reaction she got from the girl, but she smiled joyfully at Frisk's happy reaction.

It was then as the two walked beneath the house into the path below, that Frisk did not know what she was going to do.

She realized she wasn't even interested in asking the questions to reach back home or save Sans from his past…

She just wanted to hear his voice again.

Toriel walked slowly, but Frisk wanted to go faster.

"Oh, my child. He probably won't be here until later. I just go there early. Don't be in such a rush." She laughed at the excitable girl and gave a sigh.

"I know you're excited to see more people...you must be quite lonely. But there is something you should know." Toriel became serious for a moment.

"You see…. The boy through the door won't be a human. He's a monster, like me. There aren't any humans down here, you understand that, right?" Toriel looked concernedly at the girl.

"I know." Frisk nodded. "Um...does he look like you?" Frisk asked, knowing she needed to act like she didn't know a thing about this world.

"Oh? He is a skeleton." She smiled to her. "Or at least he has told me so. It _could_ just be his joke."

Frisk stopped in her tracks; "So you two haven't ever really met?"

"Only through the door."

She nodded and continued to walk with her Goat mother.

They arrived to the large barrier-like door and sat for a moment, waiting. Despite Frisk's overzealous excitement, she could tell Toriel was excited, too. Frisk wondered for Toriel's sanity- living down here all alone all this time. There were _other_ monsters around...but not very many… And they weren't so friendly.

After a few minutes, which seemed like years to Frisk, there was a knock.

"Who's there?" Toriel greeted, smiling.

"Theodore."

"Theodorel _who_?"

" _The-o-dore_ wasn't open so I knocked."

Toriel bursted with laughter and so did Frisk. But Frisk's laughter was a sort of cackle of glee. She longed to hear that voice. She felt out of place in this world she'd lived before.

"Is there someone else there?" Sans asked through the door.

Toriel spoke; "Oh...yes. This is my new child I found. She was alone, and fallen like the others."

"She's _staying_ with you?" He sounded amazed.

"Yes."

"Hi…" Frisk greeted louder than she'd been in days. Her voice was _too_ excitable and she practically slammed against the door to hear him.

"Hey, kid." He greeted.

"H-hi…" Frisk grinned shyly and stepped closer to the door, placing her hand gently on it.

"So, why did the monster make friends with the skeleton?" Toriel smiled.

"Because he was _bonely_."

Sans broke into a laugh. "Haha that one was pretty good."

"Sans…" Frisk whispered, swooning at his laugh.

" _Huh_?" Sans spoke.

Frisk froze for a moment and realized she'd said his name out loud without having 'known' his name in this world… she didn't know what to do now.

Toriel looked over to Frisk a bit. "What? Oh, my child said something." She smiled to Frisk faintly, expectantly.

"Oh, um, I was saying….you're funny." Frisk made up, blushing. Thank God, this Sans couldn't see her right now.

"Thanks, kiddo." He huffed a bit of a laugh. "I ain't _that_ funny, though." He huffed again, not wanting to sound arrogant in any way.

Frisk felt a sudden rush of adrenaline inside her that beckoned her… _no_ _ **told**_ her to destroy everything in her way.

What was the point of listening to any of Toriel's ramblings anyway? All she would do is the same simple things she did in Frisk's _original_ world. If this could all reset...wasn't this just a silly _game_? These people's lives were of the sort to be played with and toyed with. They had all the same responses, she could get them to do all the same things to her bidding.

She listened to Toriel and Sans rambling on with their stupid jokes that usually got Frisk cracking up.

But today...they didn't do that at all. In fact, they only angered Frisk. It was as if they were taunting her. Placing her Sans _just_ within her reach. But it wasn't _her_ Sans.

The two finished up their little _door_ meeting and Toriel and Frisk returned upstairs.

Frisk spent her whole day listening to Toriel's menial lessons. She couldn't stand sitting there when she knew there was Sans who needed to be saved, and her own world to return to. Eventually, dawn came and after dinner Toriel tucked Frisk in to bed and Frisk fell asleep, lulling herself with the darkness shrouding her room. All she could think of was how to get to where she needed to.

 _ **Later…**_

 _ **you'll get to him later...**_

* * *

 **Final Author note here for this recent update...**

 **literally just realized I numbered like the first four chapters in Roman numerals and then switched. Wtf, Cat?**

 **I have no idea, but I don't think it's worth changing.**

 ***** Update* something that _was_ worth changing that has a funny story is the knock knock joke Toriel tells...somehow it turned out to be the _same one_ that my favorite fanfic author used in her recent update! aha whoops (embarrassing) so I changed it. :)

 **Any who... I have already begun on the next chapter and I hope to ACTUALLY have this done this week especially since I am on a break there may be not only an update but also a multiple-chapter update like this one but in less time because... lol I have been _SO BORED_ already! I've literally been doing review books for fun. FOR FUN.**

 **Just a little note here:**

 _ **THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU**_ **to you guys reading/keeping up with my story and giving me positive comments! You guys seriously have helped me to be more confident in (you're not gonna believe this but..) well...doing _everything_. I am a very timid person irl and have trouble sharing my fandoms with other people because I am what you would call a "closet fan". I am sorta one of those people scared to voice my opinions etc because I am scared of backlash but you guys have helped so much and given me a purpose/hobby as of late so I cannot thank you enough for that :)**

 **So expect 2-4 chapters added this week! (As long as nothing stupid/dramatic happens like my last few weeks ugh. Sorry bout that again.)**

 **Much love**

 **-** _cw_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note:_ **I literally haven't updated in months. Woke up in the middle of the night the other day and felt horrible that I never finished this so I am finishing it up. We're at the sorta half-way point here. This is more of a 'scene' than a chapter.**

 **Ok long story short I got sucked into the Steven Universe fandom and then got into Gravity Falls, fell in love with it, then began to fill my life with dumb things because of the absence of any new episodes for it since it is over. Now I am back to this fanfic because I want to actually see this story through since I planned it all out. The turning point of this story is here guys :) Enjoy (if you're still around to read it haha).**

 **Also I am going to begin to thank people who review since i'm such a lazy author I never PM them or thank them other than through generalized messages.**

 **Thanks to: ****DTphantom, Kutekit** (I am sorry you are not gonna like it..but it will get better I promise! Don't worry... _too much_ ) **, Toolazytologin** (Thanks I am so glad that people notice I put thought into tiny things if you take notice ;) ) **, dwayiam, Dbfanandcritic** (Haha I was thinking the same when reading over it!) **, and KyleHobo**

- _cw_

* * *

 **Chapter 9:** **L.O.V.E**

Frisk awoke the next day to the sounds of pots and pans clinking together.

 _ **She's making breakfast again…**_

Frisk sat up and changed into a shirt she found in the wardrobe it was plain and fairly similar to her own.

The second she awoke, everything seemed to irritate Frisk. The walls were closing in, the wood boards creaked to each footstep like an aching cry, the silent hallway left an unpleasant empty feeling, and the absence of feeling started to get to Frisk. One moment she was angry, another moment she was blank. All she could figure was that these were all simply alternatives to her previously upset and sad feelings she had. The feeling of loss and grief to "another world" which was once her _only world_.

 _I'll return… it isn't a big deal_. She assured herself.

As she walked in as a slightly grumpy and irritated, yet somehow expressionless mess, she groaned at the thought of seeing her ignorant goat mom which only ever seemed to insist on her own advice and school lessons and stupid jokes.

Everything in this world felt so _pointless_.

Anything that left Frisk further from her goals of finally being able to SAVE Sans as she intended, wasted time she could be using in another dimension to actually save him.

And now it seemed clear to Frisk… That feeling that she got when she killed the monster….

"My child! You sleep so late...here have some tea, it is time for a lesson soon." Toriel placed the teacup down as she insisted the spot Frisk sit in.

"No." Frisk shook her head plainly, making Toriel stop arranging her books.

"W-what?" Toriel seemed surprised, but Frisk did not even bother to explain or reason.

"Give me the key to the door." Frisk ordered in a way so expressionless that it seemed menacing because it was creepy.

"My child! What are you talking about?! Don't you like it _here_ in your _home_?" She tried to smile to her, but it appeared so desperate.

Frisk shook her head.

Toriel immediately began to walk to the stairs which lead to the door out of the Ruins. "I'm destroying the exit. You can't do this." She spoke seriously. "I know you will try to steal the key in the night. I will not have it."

Frisk was filled with rage now. She remembered the feeling again.

The feeling when she killed the monster.

 _ **It was sad. Sure.**_

 _ **For a moment.**_

"I'm leaving no matter what you say, lady." Frisk growled, sick of playing with this desolate and predictable scheme.

"No. I can't let another child go." Toriel shook her head, continuing down the long tunnel.

The feeling turned to emotion.

 _ **And then that sadness faded away.**_

 _ **And when it did… I finally realized that that feeling was**_ _ **weakness.**_

They continued until the cave opened up to the grand door that Frisk remembered so clearly. She wished for nothing more than to get through it now, yet here that goat was standing in her way.

"I won't just get out of your way. You'll have to _prove to me_ you can even _make it out there_ in the first place." Toriel finally turned and spoke with power at each word she spoke.

The emotion turned to an _urge._

 _ **But that weakness could be turned into**_ _ **power**_ _ **.**_

 _ **And once the sadness...the**_ _ **weakness**_ _ **...washed away, everything was clear. Everything in this useless world cannot ever be useful, but it**_ _ **can**_ _ **be rid of its uselessness.**_

" _Prove_ to you?" Frisk practically snarled at the suggestion. "I don't need to prove anything to anyone who isn't even _in my way in the first place._ " She hissed.

Toriel went pale with outrage, anger, and disbelief.

The urge turned into judgement.

 _ **Like clearing a path to one's goal.**_

 _ **And if the goal is righteous, does anything in this**_ _ **temporary**_ _ **world really matter if it is destroyed?**_

Frisk raised her fist. With a single swipe, she _obliterated_ her former Goat Mother.

The judgement turned into DETERMINATION.

 _ **And then… Then….**_

The DETERMINATION turned into something else she felt more than anything.

 **L . O . V . E**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:** **I Promise**

The next few days were a blur of fire, anger, and destruction that Frisk could only parallel to a drug. It was like a poison that was all too good feeling. The **LOVE** flooded her veins with adrenaline. Her mad search for Sans turned into something that overtook her. Something that took control of her every urge- every goal. Sweep after sweep, blow after blow. Searching relentlessly. It all left her with a, strangely, _satisfying_ feeling. Even in the midst of her desperate search.

But there was still that one _itch._ Bothering her. Ruining the joy she felt from the **LOVE**. It was her drive to find Sans. In her mad search for the skeleton, everyone had either fled or been obliterated at the hands of the now-powerful human. She couldn't find him. She swept through each and every place she could find any monster. Killing and pillaging all in her way. Her wrath was like none other. She needed to find the _one_ being that would bring her back home. To her _own_ dimension. Then this could all be over.

There was only one path left.

Frisk walked to the hall she'd seen Sans in before. The golden tiles and tall columns lined up in the same dramatic posture that she'd seen them before. She could see now-

She could see…

The figure she'd been searching relentlessly for.

She almost couldn't believe it.

"Sans…" She spoke.

"Kid. This has gone too far." Sans spoke, sockets darkened. There was a chill amidst the moment between them.

Frisk felt _isolated_.

She reached out for Sans- yearning to hold his hand. Or hug him. Or grasp him for just a moment.

 _SWIPE_

The knife in her hand practically moved on it's own, attempting to hit Sans, but missing.

"NO!" Frisk tried to yell. But her throat was stuck. Strained. Not a single word came out.

Frisk suddenly realized that it wasn't the knife moving. It was _her_ hand.

Grasping weakly, she attempted to move her legs..her arms...her fingers... _any limb_.

She had no control.

Frisk was terrified. This was unreal. The word swirled around her in the midst of the drama and emotions that were so mixed now. A cackle emitted that Frisk assumed only she could hear. It was no normal sound. It was as if a pulsing headache had grasped her mind and taken it's own control.

 _ **Silly, silly Frisky…**_

 _What?! No! Who are you?!_

 _ **I'm that little voice in your head,**_ _ **kiddo.**_

Frisk saw a brunette, brown eyed girl smiling demonically down on her. It was surreal.

Frisk fought her hardest to fight the pulsing, throbbing feeling in her head.

 _Th-this isn't you! This is_ _me_ _! This is_ _my body!_ _Get out!_

Frisk desperately screeched inside her mind. Her focus darted back to reality as Sans spoke.

"So that's how it's gonna be? Huh…how sad..." Sans looked out the window longingly.

Frisk's mind searched endlessly for what emotions he might be feeling now. She knew what she had done. It was all a blur- but that was no excuse. Whatever this _controlling demon_ was in her mind... _she let it in_. She allowed what happened to happen. Frisk let herself genocide everything she had once known and loved. But it wasn't 'everything she knew and loved' she'd keep telling herself. And that only let this thing...this... _demon..._ fester into her deepening control over Frisk.

"It's a beautiful day outside, kid." Sans suddenly brought up, ignoring the fact that the child had just attempted to slice him in half with her knife.

"The birds are chirping...flowers are blooming… And ya' know what?" His eyes glowed, darting from the window back to the small figure before him.

"On days like this...kids like you…"

San's single eye emitted into blue flame, and Frisk's heart sunk.

" _Should be burning in HELL_." He hissed.

Using his hand, he thrust a beam of power against the girl who just barely dodged it.

Suddenly, Frisk felt hopeful. She remembered how much power Sans had been able to hone. The memories of Sans' powers flooded in like a beam of hopeful light in Frisk's mind.

 _You'll...you'll never be able to beat him!_

Frisk heard the demon child cackle again.

 _ **Oh? Well it's a good thing I'm**_ _ **you**_ _ **. 'Cause you**_ _ **can**_ _ **beat him. Can't**_ _ **you**_ _ **, Frisky?**_

Frisk's heart sank once more.

The memories came crashing in- shattering the beam of hope she'd held onto for only a moment. Sans and Frisk...practicing for _all_ that time.

" _Ya gotta learn to protect yourself, kid…."_ the voice echoed in her memories.

" _...Even if that means i'll teach you like this…"_

" _I'll teach you to dodge every move so it doesn't matter how much you can take. As long as you can get that_ _single hit_ _."_ Frisk's heart plundered into a wave of coldness.

Whatever this voice- this... _demon_ was...it had been there in her mind through all of it. And now she possessed her body with the memory of all his moves.

 _NO!_ Frisk shouted in her mind, desperately.

 _NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!_

Sans and Frisk battled on.

Knife swinging, blasters blazing they went on and on until Sans was pinned to the ground, ready to take the final blow.

 _Nonononono…._

" _ **NO!"**_ Frisk wailed.

She gasped. Suddenly…

The knife shook in her hand, slightly faltering as she struggled. She shook for a moment or two.

She had _control again_.

"Sans?" Frisk whimpered, barely able to keep her own body together in the stasis of what it was.

Sans looked up at her, totally confused. But only for a moment. A face of recognition lit up for a second.

"You can control time, can't you?" Sans suddenly spoke to her. There was a deathly silence between them.

The hall echoed only emptiness.

"Wh-what? I mean, yes...how did…?" Frisk froze, unable to change position with her knife still held over him. She was in too great a shock. Something still held her back. The pulsating headache reduced itself to a small migraine for a moment.

"Your face. I've seen it before." Sans stated. "Well...more likely- I've seen it _after_ before." He confusingly corrected.

"W-what? No. I...I'm from another dimension." Frisk whispered, her voice faltering back to its mousy tone.

"Kid." Sans continued "I dunno what you're talking about- but I know a deja vu when I see one and you're a _strong_ deja vu. I'm guessing… We were friends?"

Frisk sat, practically shellshocked. Unable to move.

"N-no...how could you possibly know unless…?" Frisk gaped for a moment.

"Kid- this isn't _another dimension_ you went to. You must have _reset the time in this one._ I've been looking for what was doing this." Sans stated calmly, the child stared in awe. A piercing gaze brought a chill up Frisk's spine. "The time lines...they jump...crazy ways…"

"So my world...it's...gone…?" Frisk's eyes began to flood into tears. The pulsating headache slowly increased.

"Oh no...I'm gonna…"

Frisk grabbed her head with the empty hand she had. "I'm gonna lose control." She whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "The voice in my head...she won't _leave me alone_. She makes me _attack you_. She encouraged me to attack _everyone_ so that I could get back to you." The pain pulsated so harshly that Frisk was squealing in agony now.

"STOP IT!" She yelled.

"Snap into it for just a second, kid." Sans ordered. "I dunno what's taking over you- but I know this, okay? Whatever you were- you were close to me. _What made you do this? Why are you changing the timelines?!_ " he insisted to know now. His voice echoed powerfully, like a force that had been searching for so long and wouldn't give up now at it's most impactful moment.

"I- I _loved_ you but you wouldn't love me back! You _refused_ to love me back even though you did on the inside!" Frisk grunted angrily. The anger only made the headaches pulsate stronger.

"Loved you?" Sans' stare gained a new aura of wonder and painful recognition.

"Kid- I was probably trying to _stop you from doing_ _this_ _!"_ Sans yelled back, still lying beneath Frisk's painful clutch.

 _He knew._ Frisk realized to herself. _He knew I could reset._

"Look how well _that_ worked!" Frisk hissed. "AGH!" She yelped in pain. The headaches grew. "I'm losing control." Frisk teared up.

"I'm gonna- _she's_ gonna try to kill you."

Sans sighed.

"It's alright kid." He shook his head. "I've seen the timelines. _Everything resets anyways._ Don't you pay attention? Why do you think I'm so lazy?" He groaned, knowing she must have known him at some point or another.

Frisk only responded with a screech of agony.

"Hey kid- before ya kill me...will you make a promise?" Sans sighed.

"Whoever you were...a friend...a lover... _whatever_. I can tell. You had to of been special to me. Maybe to everyone else too." He wondered. "But whoever you were- I want you to _promise_ to me that you'll reset the timeline again at the end of all this and make it a happy world. Make it the happy world we must have been in before, okay? Do everything the same." Sans eyes glowed his usual color, but in a light that pleaded to Frisk.

In all her agony, she nodded. "I...promise…" She cried in pain as the headache took over again.

 _ **Guess who's back!**_

The voice taunted, taking the knife so confidently in hand. A flash of demonic red eyes glowed from Frisk's view, as if she could see _herself_ now. The body wasn't hers anymore. Not a vessel that she resided in any longer.

Frisk watched as her own hand brought the knife up and swiftly back down-

 _SLASH_

And with that, the light behind Sans' eyes died.

 _I promise. I'm sorry._

* * *

 **This story ain't over.** **Not yet.**

 **Annnd yep- if you've been paying attention;**

 **The bold text _is and has been Chara's voice_ the whole time (go back and see if you don't believe me hehe)**

 **Did you like the chapters now that I'm back? (Well okay you probably don't _like_ them because they're  tragic and change everything but...y'know...)**

 **New chapter coming up soon my loves! :)**


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